The Winnipeg Funeral Industry
The local funeral industry has many competing firms, and it is certainly true that the careful shopper can obtain both a reasonable price and a quality service. However, as local author Doug Smith points out in his book 
Big Death:
“there is a whole industry out there that is....slick, aggressive and all encompassing. It is so skilled that when it is through with you, you will have paid in advance for products and services that will not be delivered in your lifetime, in the process reaping a tidy profit off your fear and guilt.”
Approximately one third of the funeral homes in Winnipeg are owned by two multi-national corporate chains. Both corporate and independently owned funeral homes use bundled services, package pricing, and an emphasis on the sale of goods to achieve their profit margin. In most sectors, the consumer can diligently research their choices and caveat emptor is a fair enough motto. At a time of grief, families are much less inclined to shop for the best price, and much more likely to place their trust in the first funeral home they call.
The Cooperative Advantage
Like other retail cooperatives, a funeral co-op is in business to provide services to its members. This, rather than producing a return on investment, is the main priority of the cooperative. In the period 1987-2004, Quebec funeral cooperatives brought the cost to their members down to 60-69% of the provincial average, saving their members approximately $14 million.
This doesn’t necessarily mean the cooperative is the absolutely lowest price in any given market. Research has demonstrated that cooperative businesses thrive on excellence in service rather than discount pricing. The objective of the funeral cooperative is to give value - excellent service at the best possible price.
Why would someone want to become a member in a funeral cooperative?
- to purchase high value and affordable service that is transparently priced,
from a locally owned business.
- to participate in the democratic governance of a member-owned business
- to build equity in the cooperative, where profits from this year’s funerals are
used to lower the cost of future funerals.
- to use the cooperative as a platform for contributing to the broader community
See the section on “How It Works” for more details.
