The Pandemic Changed Death AND Taxes: 4 Death Care Trends That Are Likely Permanent
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Consumers are re-examining even the most fundamental ways to mourn and grieve the loss of friends and family. The global pandemic has accelerated the adoption of new technologies and behaviors to the highly traditional funeral and cemetery business, and the Foresight Company survey adds credible data to assumption and observation.
Background:
The global pandemic has necessitated adoption of new technologies and behaviors to the highly traditional funeral and cemetery business, and the FCCBS survey, now in its second year, continues to show that consumers are reexamining even the most fundamental ways consumers mourn.
Key Insights:
About Consumers:
- Overall, 32% of respondents say they’ve changed their behaviors as a result experiencing new things.
- 21% of age 75+ (the most resistant to change) say they’ve changed their behaviors – a 75% increase YOY.
- 63% say a celebration of life event is important – and half (49%) will consider alternative locations outside the traditional funeral home.
- Consumers are increasingly concerned about meeting their budget; in the African American community, more than half (56%) are concerned about ability to meet budget needs.
About Technology
- 49% of respondents said attending a livestream service “shows how much I care” – a 99% YOY increase.
- 44% expect livestreaming of services will be available permanently, a 10% increase vs 2020.
- 79% are unwilling to pay for livestreaming despite the expectation of its inclusion.
About Convenience
- 21% of respondents will pay more for technologies and approaches that increase convenience.
- 15% now expect “house calls.”
- 74% of respondents expect to view pricing online; 65% expect to view products online.
About Pre-Planning
- 75% say it’s important to have pre-planned funeral arrangements, a 30% increase vs. pre-pandemic.
- That increases to 80% if respondents experienced a death in the last 6 months.
- Those who experienced a death plan to spend $700+ more than those who didn’t.
- Hispanic, African American, Jewish, and Catholic respondents are more likely to pre-plan.
About the Study:
Analysts have widely speculated about how the pandemic will impact behaviors in the death care services business. This study, now in its second year, puts metrics and measurement around the behaviors and degree of change. A $20B industry, more than 2.4 million funerals take place in the US annually and employs more than 100,000 Americans serving families in their time of need.
The Foresight Companies 2021 Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study, conducted by Los Angeles-based SoCal Approach Marketing and Consulting Group, was designed to understand consumer attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors about the funeral and cemetery industry during the pandemic and after the pandemic has passed. The study is based to 4,174 respondents drawn from a nationally representative panel sample of U.S. residents age 45 and older.
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