Innovation has challenged every business sector. But some companies have never faced any meaningful disruption. Take the funeral sector. Funerals have carried on in much the same fashion for the last 200 years. But now the funeral industry is facing disruption.
Direct cremation is becoming more common. This treats the cremation independently for any burial service. The cremation happens swiftly and privately in a crematorium. The ashes can then be delivered to the next of kin who can then, if they wish, hold their own service. Direct cremation is now common in the USA, Britain, and other parts of the western world. This poses a challenge for existing funeral directors who are often unwilling to offer this option to their clients. Instead a number of specialist direct cremation firms have been innovating the practice.
We spoke to one, Direct Cremation by Harbour, which offers direct cremation in England and Wales. They explained that people were increasingly sceptical of funeral directors who often appeared more interested in upselling costly additional services rather than providing professional help and clear pricing. Direct Cremation by Harbour’s prices start at £895 which is considerably less than the £4000 that an average British funeral costs.
It appears direct cremation is not the only innovation disrupting the burial sector. The demand for simple funerals is beginning to rise. These funals are very much like a typical funeral; there is a service before the cremation takes place with a public speaker recounting the life of the deceased. The main difference is that there is no hearse procession. The coffin is simply in place at the venue before the service begins. Willow Lake Funeral Directors says this saves a large sum in both overhead costs and operational expenses. This is why they are able to offer burials for a fixed price of £1995 which is approximately 50% less than the price charged by a traditional funeral director.
For more info on direct cremation, feel free to visit https://harbourfunerals.com/