The New Operators

October 12, 2023/Products/

As I look for material to bring before the readers of Funeral Director Daily I continue to be amazed at, what I consider, the number of new “Death Care” operators that are hanging out a shingle and opening for business. And, unlike the 1940’s when there was a large expansion of men opening traditional funeral homes across the country, this expansion comes from both genders and, from what I see anecdotaly, it is more likely to be a niche death care business that opens rather than a full-service traditional funeral home.

While the fact that these start-ups don’t seem to be traditional funeral homes is probably a welcome relief to those already in the traditional funeral home business, I don’t think traditional funeral homes can sit idly by and think that they will continue to hold market share. I look at these new start-ups and the way that they will attack customer acquisition will at the same time erode market share from from the flanks of the traditional operators.

By that statement, I mean that these new and different operators will simply take the potential customers who are not looking for a traditional funeral and give them new and meaningful, at least to them, options. Traditional funeral homes can no longer believe that these clients will come to them and “will work out some type of arrangement” for the “different than traditional” service that they might prefer that is away from that funeral home’s traditional “norm” of service.

These new clients, in my way of thinking, will be shopping online and the traditional funeral homes who don’t offer what they are looking for will not get the chance to offer services to them.

Here’s three new operators and their death care businesses that I read about just last week:

Associated Family Funeral and Cremation Center — Tupelo, Mississippi

Associated Family Funeral and Cremation Center is a full-service traditional funeral home, but doing so at discount prices. They mention that their full-service traditional funeral cost, including a 20-gauge casket, would be priced at $3,495.

Associated Family Funeral Home offers affordable options for burial. The Daily Journal, Tupelo, MS

Associated Family Funeral and Cremation Center website — Please notice that pricing is on the website

A Natural Undertaking — Birmingham, The United Kingdom

Here’s how Frances Glover, a co-founder of A Natural Undertaking describes her business, “. . . .some people call us alternative, but I feel that belittles what we do. We offer the same services as other funeral directors, but what we do is actively make sure that people know they have lots of options, including greener options.

For example, we don’t embalm people unless absolutely necessary, we offer a range of coffins that are more environmentally friendly, and we make sure that people know natural burial is available.

She said they also make people aware of more “sympathetic” crematoria, such as Redditch Crematoria which uses the heat from its cremations to heat the neighbouring swimming pool.

And we have electric hearses which we charge out at a lower cost than a traditional hearse. We are adamant that being green should be an easy choice, so people shouldn’t have to pay more to be greener.”

The future is green, taking a Natural Undertaking. Voice article and print article. Irish Tech News

A Natural Undertaking website

Branch & Pyre — Online, appointment free, simple (direct) cremation — Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada

The company’s website lists these features:

Caring approach
Appointment free
Simple cremation
Clear pricing
Return of ashes
Trusted care

Looking at the company website it offers a clear and concise transparent explanation of what is offered. Simple (Direct) cremation offered for CAN $ 1,295 (US$ 948). Again, prices transparent on the website.

A New Final Chapter. Winnipeg Free Press (Canada)

Branch & Pyre website

More news from the world of Death Care: