An Investigation into the changing trends of the UK funeral industry and how companies within the industry are keeping up with consumer needs and changing requirements

Abstract

This dissertation has set out with the aim of establishing the current trends within the funeral industry and their impact on companies within the industry. This aim was achieved through the use of an interpretivist approach to research. The methodological tools adopted to achieve the aim of the dissertation were semi-structured interviews with four funeral directors from various funeral homes throughout West Glamorgan, as well as four additional semi-structured interviews with those who have experience planning a funeral. Included in this dissertation is a critical literature review, justification of methodological choices and a discussion of the results in relation to the points raised. The main findings of this dissertation reflect the idea that the current recurring trends of the funeral industry are; a higher level of personalisation, celebrations of life and green burials. These key trends appear in the current literature on the subject, as well as within the results of the semi structured interviews. Another key finding of this research project is that there is a distinct lack of consumer awareness as far as funeral planning is concerned. This could be an intentional measure to ensure that funeral homes do not lose business, or it may be the cause of the UK public’s aversion to discuss the subject of death.