IS TIME UP FOR THE UNDERTAKER?

IS TIME UP FOR THE UNDERTAKER? RESEARCH SHOWS MOURNERS ARE ABANDONING TRADITIONAL CEREMONIES

More and more mourners are turning their backs on traditional ceremonies and undertakers, and a recent study by Pure Cremation reveals what this could mean for the industry as a whole.
The Big Future of Funerals Survey was undertaken by Pure Cremation|https://www.purecremation.co.uk|, one of the UK’s leading providers of direct cremation and features responses from a staggering 17,135 customers who have taken out a pre-paid plan for the simplest form of funeral – direct cremation, where the deceased is collected, cared for, and then cremated without a service or mourners present. The data offers unrivalled insight into how consumer attitudes have changed and shines a light on the rapid growth in demand for a new way to say goodbye to someone special.
Direct cremation allows families to separate the practical aspects of a funeral from the farewell event, and in the last four years, the demand for this simple service has more than quadrupled. Part of this rise in popularity is the freedom to tailor a personalised farewell ceremony at a convenient time and at a place that resonates with the deceased and mourners.
One key finding indicates a much-reduced role for funeral professionals in the years ahead, because while most families will require expert support to arrange and carry out the cremation part of the farewell, a staggering 77% of those questioned said they didn’t need any professional help to arrange the celebration of life event.
In addition, the survey responses show a radical shift in both where and how families want to say goodbye to a loved one.
Pure Cremation’s founder Catherine Powell said: “Profound changes are on the horizon for a wide range of funeral professionals and providers as demand for direct cremation continues to grow.
“The role of the funeral director will be reduced to the performance of the essential practical tasks of caring for the deceased and logistics of unattended cremations, crematoria will find their chapel spaces increasingly used simply as the arrival hall for direct cremations, and celebrants will only survive if they can promote their services to families directly rather than relying on funeral directors for referrals.”
Currently many funeral directors make a living from performing fewer than 100 traditional funerals a year, but as demand for traditional funerals falls funeral directors will compete more vigorously for clients, probably by offering lower fees for this service. Reduced revenues will inevitably mean that some businesses will become unviable and be forced to close.
Reduced professional fees for traditional funerals might be good news for consumers, but it’s a different story for cremation fees for traditional services attended by friends and family. Crematorium operators typically respond to falling service numbers by raising prices to maintain revenues and keep venues open. This especially applies to local authorities who are responsible for about 50% of all venues.
The funeral sector is facing a period of significant turbulence while it adapts to these changes.
In contrast, Pure Cremation is ideally placed to thrive and grow because it has designed its whole business around delivering this new style of service and created a leading brand, known for quality care at a sensible price.
Editor’s Note: For further information contact Celeste Clarke at Century PR on 07799064066 or email celeste@centurypr.co.uk.