A company offering “designer” caskets hopes to transform an industry that has remained largely unchanged for over a century by using a direct-to-consumer model championed by Amazon.
Titan Casket has partnered with national and international manufacturers in a bid to give customers a broader selection of casket options at lower prices than most funeral homes.
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“Most consumers buy their caskets from the same funeral home they’ve always purchased it from. So they don’t price shop,” Titan Casket CEO Scott Ginsberg told the Washington Examiner. “As a result, the manufacturer and the funeral homes enjoy a 200% to 400% markup.”
In the 1980s, the Federal Trade Commission enacted the Funeral Rule, which gives an individual the right to purchase the goods and services desired for a funeral service. This allows a consumer to order a casket from an alternative vendor and have it shipped to the funeral home of his or her choice without additional fees.
U.S. consumers spend about $20 billion on funeral services every year, with about $4 billion going to caskets, according to Ginsberg. The industry is expected to grow in future years as the baby boomer generation moves into its golden years. The average price of a casket in the United States currently ranges between $2,000 and $5,000, according to the Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company.
In order to cut down on costs for funerals, 57.5% of people opt for cremation services, while 36.6% choose burials, according to a report from the National Funeral Directors Association. This has changed from a decade ago when burials were more common than cremation.
Space is also starting to become a concern, particularly in cities with dense populations. Some cemeteries are trying to combat this by leasing recycled plots. The issue is still less prevalent in the U.S. than in Europe.
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In contrast to the funeral business’s lugubrious nature, Titan Casket aims to give consumers a shopping experience similar to the one they might have on dominant e-commerce vendors such as Amazon.
Customers can go to the website and choose from dozens of casket options — they can even create a customized casket. Some of the “designer” casket options include wood, metal, and cloth. There are also various options for the internal design and external coloring.
Joshua Siegel, Titan Casket’s chief product officer, worked at Amazon for almost 10 years and spent time at the company overseeing the delivery of large and expensive products. Shipping items nearly the size of a refrigerator is complicated, he said, and many customers rely on a fast turnaround.
“It’s not an easy business,” Siegel says. “We have an operations team that watches every order every day to ensure that it will arrive on time because this is a business where we can’t miss and where we don’t miss.”
He said Titan Casket relies on several warehouses across the U.S. to help ensure fast delivery times. They also plan for disruptive events such as inclement weather. Siegel claims the company is able to ship its caskets out by the next day — even those that are custom-made. The company says caskets typically arrive within two to six days of ordering.
The U.S. casket industry is dominated by two major manufacturers: Batesville Casket Company and Matthews International Corp. The Washington Examiner reached out to both for comment on the up-and-coming competitor.
Ginsburg said his company is collaborating with smaller manufacturers to try to provide consumers with lower prices. Their prices range from about $700 to $2,500, which he estimates is at least 50% cheaper than the cost of the average casket in the U.S.
The company started in 2016. It revamped its website and expanded its digital marketing during the last two years. Ginsberg and Siegel suggested that the company has experienced significant growth since its recent digital initiatives
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In addition to providing caskets, the company also helps its customers navigate the funeral process. Ginsberg said he finds this part of his business to be very rewarding.
“We’re helping people at the worst time in their lives, and we can be there for them,” Ginsburg said. “It’s really about being their best professional friend and helping them.”
