COLUMBIA HOUSE, USA

    The Columbia House brand was introduced in the early 1970s by the Columbia Records division of CBS, Inc. as an umbrella for its mail-order music clubs, the primary incarnation of which was the Columbia Record Club, established in 1955. It had a significant market presence in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. In 2005, longtime competitor BMG Direct Marketing, Inc. purchased Columbia House and consolidated operations. In 2008, the company was acquired by private investment group Najafi Companies, and its name was changed to Direct Brands, Inc.