Walmart crumbles another industry: Caskets

Throughout its history, Walmart has been disruptive to a number of industries, from local retailers to grocery stores. Now, you can add funeral homes to the list. The company’s website has started selling several models of caskets, starting at $999.

Walmart is not the first major retailer to offer caskets online, but its branding and reach certainly makes it a force to be reckoned with in the world of family run funeral homes (though many funeral homes are now part of big chains too).

According to the AP, federal law mandates that funeral homes accept caskets from third-parties, so unless they want to match Walmart, price conscious consumers shouldn’t have any issues if they want to use the retailer. On the other hand, ordering a casket from Walmart does seem a bit impersonal. But, if you simply want to save a few dollars at the end, well, now you can.

Posted via email from Digital Anthropology