INDUSTRY AND COMPETITORS

The funeral home industry has been at a steady decrease for the past decade. Not only is this present at a local or regional level, but at a national level. The traditional funeral service and burial are becoming less favored. Instead, across the country, families are preoccupied by external distractions. These distractions have nothing to do with the funeral homes’ capabilities, but with the growing popularity of cremations. “Our cremations have tripled in the past 5 years,” said Jason Monell, a funeral director in Northern Kentucky. Cremation has been a popular choice in the West for years, but the trend is sweeping the country as cremation gains wider acceptance. “In 2002, arrangements for 22 percent of all deaths in the United States included cremation, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. By 2010, the association expects that to nearly double” (Conner). There are many reasons why cremations are going to take over the industry down the road. This causes funeral directors to create other services and opportunities to make their businesses profitable.

The first main reason why cremations are gaining popularity has to do with the environment. This is probably one of the most apparent and obvious reasons. Cemeteries are starting to run out of land causing people to develop a concern. However, there are measures currently taking place to help conserve land. For example, Highland Cemetery in Northern Kentucky has dedicated a whole portion of there land to lawn crypt vaults. These vaults are eight to ten feet deep and keep two caskets in them. The cemeteries stack two caskets on top of each other with a cement vault shelf in between. The lots are often sold to older couples where they may see death occurring in the next ten years. The younger population is hesitant to purchase them due to the uncertainty of their life. Environmentalists are also concerned that rainforests are starting to get knocked out, often providing habitats for some of our endangered species. This is often the case in the South.

Another big reason cremations are gaining popularity is because of money. To most people it seems far-fetched that people think about money in such a tough and vulnerable time, but it is not uncommon. Having a direct cremation is significantly more cost efficient than having the traditional evening visitation and service the next day. The caskets or cremation boxes that are used and the services that are offered are often less expensive. These cremations add up and cause funeral homes to lose serious revenue.

The third main reason is convenience. People are starting to understand and accept the fact that they might not be living in the same area the rest of their lives. In the past decade it has become more common for people to switch jobs and move to different areas. It has become a problem since their loved ones are buried at a location far away from their current residence. Although performing a disinterment, the act of digging up a grave to move it to another location, isn’t out of the question, they are expensive and an inconvenience. In cremation cases, the remains are typically in an urn which can be transported at ease.