Companies That Control the Death Industry

Dying in America is expensive. The average cost of a funeral, from the flowers to the plot, has grown to $9,000. With almost 1.8 million buried every year, that amounts to a $15 billion-a-year business.

The death industry, including funeral homes, crematoriums, and cemeteries, is a tale of two economies. Most of the 19,500 funeral homes in America are small operations, passed down through families over the generations. But a few large companies, many of them publicly traded (including Wal-Mart and Amazon), control the business. Those are the firms that we studied in this analysis of the death industry.


THE DEATH INDUSTRY





Walmart

AMAZON.COM



Interesting Fact: Amazon sells a steel embalming table

# of Employees: 21,700

Most Recent Quarter Revenue: $7.6 billion

Most Recent Net Income: $231 million



Amazon.com helped bring the funeral service online. Like Wal-Mart, the company offers caskets in more than 50 different varieties. Additionally, it sells a steel embalming table for $1,095 and pet urns for under $200. Many caskets are sold at 67% off the list price, thanks to a partnership with Bestpricecaskets.com.
Walmart

1-800-FLOWERS.COM



Interesting Fact: The site offers instructions on how to help others deal with the loss of a loved one

# of Employees: 2,200

Most Recent Quarter Revenue: $104.5 million

Most Recent Net Income: ($5.1 million)



A significant portion of 1-800 FLOWERS' revenue comes from the funeral business. The company offers a variety of arrangements, including "sympathy bouquets," "casket sprays," funeral wreaths, and crosses. These items are prominently displayed on the company site, as are books and guidance from a "celebration expert," and an original video which outlines "how to express sympathy with flowers and gifts." According to one 1-800-FLOWERS representative, "Sympathy remains an important business for retail florists and 1-800-FLOWERS.COM works closely with...florists to help them grow their share in this category."
Walmart

WALMART



Interesting Fact: Caskets come with monthly payment terms

# of Employees: 2,100,000

Most Recent Quarter Revenue: $101.9 billion

Most Recent Net Income: $3.6 billion



Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, helped begin the trend of selling low-priced caskets online. The company offers the $995 "Dad Remembered Steel Casket," with "18 gauge steel high-gloss silver-blue finish." Wal-Mart is taking a share of the death care industry away from funeral homes and related companies. According to the casket industry, the impact of the big box retailers is still small. Other industry experts suggest otherwise.