Help us raise $300,000 for NCR!

We have raised $158,746 from 784 supporters. We are 53% of the way to our goal!

Funeral arrangements go online

by Tom Gallagher

View Author Profile

Join the Conversation

April 11, 2011

Funeral arrangements go online

Last fall I wrote a story about the state of the Catholic cemetery business: 'The Business of Catholic cemeteries.'

The big news is that cremation is having a substantial impact on the business. Now comes a web-based funeral and cremation business that stands a chance of being very disruptive. According to Bloomberg News:

Today, [Eric] Vandermeersch is a pioneer in the industry. The 29-year-old is co-founder of Basic Funerals and Cremation Choices, one of the first online upstarts in a business that for centuries has relied on face-to-face meetings in brick-and-mortar parlors to sell its services. Vandermeersch and Dominic Mazzone, 39, launched their company just outside Toronto in 2009, convinced that people would jump at the chance to bypass morbid sales pitches and choose to book funerals over the Web. “Funeral arrangements are a very private thing,” says Nikoleta Panteva, industry analyst for research firm IBISWorld. “So to be able to do it in the convenience of your own home, at your own time, at your own pace is something that’s pretty novel to the industry.”

Latest News

only love thumbnail
Francis, the comic strip
Vatican

Testing Leo comic strip

Pat Marrin
Pope Francis delivers his homily during the closing Mass of the synod on synodality in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Oct. 27, 2024. (CNS/Lola Gomez)
Vatican

Cardinals poised to pursue the more inclusive, open church championed by Pope Francis

James V. GrimaldiSoli Salgado

Francis dreamed of a house always open to all

Opinion

Outside agendas will not dictate this conclave

Michael Sean Winters

Advertisement