Analysts say the consolidation of the funeral industry has been driven in part by economics. As the U.S. population has aged, funerals have become something of a growth industry. Industry officials insist that consolidation benefits consumers. They say the conglomerates bring capital and professional management techniques that help marginal funeral homes survive. But critics say the conglomerates have hurt consumers more than they've helped them.
Consumer groups complain that some conglomerates use unusually aggressive marketing practices.
Wasilenski also says that while consolidating means lower costs for funeral homes, those savings are rarely passed on to consumers. The fact is that usually they raise their prices. In some cases, the prices double at a mortuary with no change in services. And Wasilenski says that often has a ripple effect on independent funeral homes that remain in the area. The seaside towns of Cape Cod have become home to so many retirees lately that the roads can be choked with traffic even in late autumn.