Columbia House got bought by BMG, and the sites merged. I don't know how much less selection BMG has vs. earlier years - I have always used the site to "backfill" my collection, as they often have year-old "new releases" and remastered classic albums, and at good prices of course.
I don't listen to or collect classical, so I don't know what the landscape is for acquiring classical music. For rock, jazz, blues, etc., the stores are all gone, replaced by Amazon and the like. The selection is better than it ever was at even the best stores, you have a vast used market that drives the price way down, you can shop, easily, from your own home, and delivery is fast even if it's not instant like at a B&M shop.
I don't listen to or collect classical, so I don't know what the landscape is for acquiring classical music. For rock, jazz, blues, etc., the stores are all gone, replaced by Amazon and the like. The selection is better than it ever was at even the best stores, you have a vast used market that drives the price way down, you can shop, easily, from your own home, and delivery is fast even if it's not instant like at a B&M shop.