Bespoke 3D-Printed Funeral Products

Summary:

Around 3.3 million die every year in the US. That means around 1.3 million families are in the market for an urn every year, buying approximately 2 million urns per year. And that’s just urns. There is an entire panoply of funeral products available to consumers today, from urns to jewelry to light boxes and night lights. A few can be customized with the name of the deceased, their DOB/DOD, and a personal phrase. Some are branded with the names and logos of sports teams or colleges. Most of these urns are sold through the 19,000 funeral homes in the US. Approximately 20% of Cremstar customers purchase an urn. By bringing the production of this consumer demand in-house, we will significantly improve supply chain integrity, brand distinction and, most importantly, our profit margin.

Problem:

The recent COVID-19 pandemic and resulting supply chain issues have made the manufacturing and worldwide distribution of funeral products like urns increasingly problematic. Most are manufactured in China or India. Only a handful of domestic manufacturers remain producing specialty items. And, as in most industries, a handful of providers dominate, offering both wholesale prices to funeral homes and, in some cases, a consumer portal as well. Amazon and other online retailers also play an increasingly important role with DTC offerings. Since most products offer limited opportunity for customization, brand distinction is difficult, enhancing the importance of pricing and fulfillment.

Solution:

While the recent pandemic has revealed fractures in our current supply chains, new 3D printing technologies provide a low-cost, high-margin opportunity to meet the needs of the market.

Most of these urns are sold through the 19,000 funeral homes in the US. Conveniently, they are the same funeral directors and managers we’re targeting for Styx, so that will help defray our marketing (e.g. list-buying) costs.

And because we’re printing them individually, unlike those made in China’s and India’s factories, we can customize each unit and charge a premium.

To view our full set of products, visit FinalSpring.com.