Wal-Mart Enters Coffin Biz

Funeral homes face competition from discount caskets

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 30, 2009 2:08 AM CDT

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Wal-Mart Enters Coffin Biz — This screen shot taken from WalMart.com shows a casket for sale on the Wal-Mart Web site. Wal-Mart quietly put up about 15 caskets and dozens of urns on its site last week. (AP Photo/WalMart.com)

America's leading big-box store is now also a pine box store. Wal-Mart has started selling a range of discount coffins on its website and plans to expand its death products to include pet urns and memorial jewelry. Prices start at just $895 for a steel coffin. Funeral home owners say they're not too worried about the competition. Wal-Mart will never be able to replace the human touch funeral home directors offer, the head of an industry group tells AP.
(More Walmart stories.)

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