Wal-Mart has started selling caskets on its website at prices that undercut many funeral homes. The move follows a similar one by discount rival Costco, which also sells caskets on its site.
Wal-Mart has quietly put up about 15 caskets and dozens of urns on its website last week. Prices range from $999 for models like “Dad Remembered” and “Mom Remembered” steel caskets to the mid-level $1,699 “Executive Privilege.” All are less than $2,000, except for the Sienna Bronze Casket, which sells for $3,199.
The caskets come from Star Legacy Funeral Network, a company based in McHenry, Ill., that sells the same caskets for about the same price — some less — on its site, along with many others. Caskets ship within 48 hours. Federal law requires funeral homes to accept third-party caskets.
Star Legacy CEO Rick Obadiah said the response in the first week has been better than the company or Wal-Mart expected. He said more than 200 Star Legacy products, including pet urns and memorial jewelry, and eventually about two dozen caskets, will be sold at walmart.com. The company also supplies similar types of products to online retailer Overstock.com and urns to CostCo’s website.
He said Wal-Mart can’t offer one thing funeral directors do have: the ability to comfort someone during a trying time.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2009-10-28-walmart-sells-caskets-online_N.htm
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