Stores offer final savings

Everybody's looking for a deal in this economy, even in death.

Wal-Mart, whose stores seem to sell just about everything, is hoping to cash in on "final" business, joining Costco in selling caskets to price-conscious shoppers.

This fall, the world's largest retailer began selling discount caskets online. They range from $895 for an 18-gauge steel model to a bronze casket for just under $3,000.

The casket sales are being made on a trial basis, according to a Wal-Mart spokesperson, who would not say how long the trial would last or how many caskets have been sold.

Local funeral homes and casket sellers hope the sales are short-lived.

John McQueen of Anderson McQueen Funeral Homes in St. Petersburg, prides himself on offering families one-stop shopping. In a virtual selection suite, the bereaved can customize caskets based on anything from gender to professional interests to hobbies. McQueen said that price isn't the only consideration.

"We're not really about the box, we're about preserving memories of the life," McQueen said.

Big box retailers such as Wal-Mart and Costco are betting people want a deal.

Mark Allen, executive director of the Casket and Funeral Supply Association of America, said the industry is watching and waiting.

"I suspect Wal-Mart will capture that very small segment of the market that is just very price conscious," Allen said.

At Casket and Monument Discount in St. Petersburg, owner Laurent Thuriereis concerned. For 15 years, he built a business by beating casket prices at funeral homes.

"The demand for caskets is going to be challenging in the next couple of years," he said. More families are requesting the cheaper option of cremation, and caskets made in China are undercutting his wholesale business.

In the end, Thuriere said, more competition may be hard on his livelihood, but it will benefit people looking for the ultimate good deal. "I guess the winner at the end of the day is going to be the consumers," he said.

If you are going to buy a casket online, here are questions to ask.

For a preplanned funeral:

•How much will it cost to store?

•How much is delivery?

•How much is sales tax?

For sudden funerals:

•How long for delivery?