Benjamin Franklin — who would most certainly be a blogger if he were alive today — is famous for having popularized the phrase “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” And as a logical extension, I’ve always been struck by how the business of death has appeared to [...]
Posts Tagged ‘walmart’
2 Mar
Man Opens Custom Casket Store in Shopping Mall?
Nathan Smith wants to talk about his new store, but first he has a few questions. “Are you ready?” he says of the new business at Towne West Square. “Are you sure you’re ready? Is Wichita ready?” His business, ’Til We Meet Again, will sell custom caskets and urns. “It’s very specialized, very unique,” Smith [...]
25 Jan
Costco Delivers Casket to Wrong Funeral Home, Wrong State!
The following is a letter written to The Consumerist, by a gentleman who ordered a casket from Costco’s for his mothers funeral. The letter was posted on The Consumerist on Friday. The Situation: D.’s mother passed away last week. The funeral is today, and the wake was yesterday. He writes that thanks to Costco and their [...]
12 Jan
Hearse Transporting Body Catches Fire on Freeway
HERCULES, CA — A hearse delivering a body to a funeral caught fire Friday afternoon when sparks from a front tire flattened in a collision sparked a blaze. The driver was later arrested on suspicion of driving drunk, the California Highway Patrol said. The hearse belonged to Mandel Funeral Services in Vallejo and the driver [...]
10 Jan
SCI, Walmart, and Batesville Lead List of Top 10 Funeral Industry Stories of 2009
2009 wasn’t exactly a picture perfect year for the funeral industry. Marred by scandal after scandal, most press that was given to the industry was negative. Lets hope the 2010 can be a better year. 2009 also brought us another consumer driven casket competitor in Walmart, the worlds largest retailer, who is partnering with Star [...]
22 Dec
Funeral Director Reacts to Handling First Walmart Casket, You Might Be Surprised
Last week I posted an article that contained the dialogue I had with a representative from the Walmart media relations’ team (Is Walmart Selling Any Caskets? I Called to Find Out, Read The Dialogue). I posted in the article that I have not spoken with anyone (funeral director) who has had a family purchase a [...]
18 Dec
Is Walmart Selling Any Caskets? I Called to Find Out, Listen to The Audio
Walmart sure is riding the wave from all the media buzz they have created surrounding the caskets they are selling online. But are they selling any? I haven’t had one email from any funeral director or heard of any funeral director who has had a family buy a Walmart casket online. Everyday more articles are [...]
17 Dec
Costco Stepping Up Casket Game?
Costco launched a redefined “Must Read This Important Information Before Purchasing a Casket” page, adding more Frequently Asked Questions. With Walmart making a huge public push to sell caskets online and rumors that Amazon.com is going to start offering a more extensive line of caskets, I guess Costco sees the need to step up their [...]
16 Dec
There’s A Casket Sale At Walmart? Watch The Video
There has been tons of buzz about Walmart selling caskets, not only in the funeral industry, but out in the public as well. You know it is big time when someone with a Ukulele writes and sings a song about it on YouTube. I’m not sure if this is funny or scary. The lyrics of [...]
30 Nov
Walmart Maybe Can’t Sell Caskets in Georgia, Maybe Other States
At the Atlanta Casket Store on Glenwood Road, owner Wyatt Washington surveys the shifting landscape of the funeral industry since Walmart got into the online casket and funeral urn business. He’s dressed in a funeral director’s black-and-white pinstripe suit, sitting in the parlor of his modest store. He nods over his right shoulder at two [...]
