eziFunerals Founder, Peter Erceg has raised concerns about the ongoing battle between InvoCare and Propel Funeral Partners in their race to expand their share of the ‘death care industry’.
Funeral consumers took another hit this week as Australia’s largest ASX listed funeral company made its 10th acquisition in the past eight months.
In another blow to consumers concerned about the rising cost of funerals, InvoCare acquired another family owned and independent funeral business. Hastings District Funeral & Cremation Service, which operates from three locations in the Port Macquarie region has a history stretching back to 1930 and conducts about 400 funeral services annually, bringing in $2.7 million in revenue.
InvoCare Limited is currently listed on the Australian stock exchange and owns and operates funeral homes, cemeteries and crematoria in Australia and Singapore. It is the largest provider of funeral services and the largest operator of private cemeteries and crematoria in Australia with over 230 funeral homes trading under different brands and 12 cemeteries and crematoria nationally.
- White Lady Funerals
- Simplicity Funerals
- Value Cremations
- Guardian Funerals
- Ann Wilson Funerals
- Le Pine Funerals
- Purslowe Funerals
Australia’s biggest undertakers just keep getting bigger. But is their growth coming at the expense of grieving families?
Peter Erceg said, “These latest acquisitions may be good news for shareholders, but not for consumers and independent funeral homes”.
Despite several inquiries into the industry, government regulators in Australia have failed to tackle ongoing community concerns about rising costs, misleading practices and a growing concentration of market share by two publicly listed companies.
“Unless consumers and independent funeral directors can operate as a co-operative alliance, they will continue to hit with rising costs and a lack of choice. This is not in the interests of grieving families and family owned funeral homes”, he said.
ASX LISTED FUNERAL COMPANIES FIGHT FOR MORE MARKET SHARE
COMMUNITY GRIEVES THE LOSS OF ANOTHER FAMILY OWNED FUNERAL HOME
GRAVE CONCERNS HELD FOR FUNERALS CONSUMERS
EZIFUNERALS CALLS ON CONSUMERS AND FAMILY OWNED FUNERAL HOMES TO CHALLENGE THE FUNERAL DUOPOLOY
INVOCARE EXPANDS ITS FOOTPRINT AT THE EXPENSE OF GRIEVING FAMILIES
WHO OWNS THE FUNERAL HOME YOU ARE CONSIDERING?
About eziFunerals
eziFunerals is a free consumer advocacy and funeral planning platform that supports individuals and families cope with end of life decisions, death and funerals. We are an independent, Australian-owned and operated company, and are not a subsidiary of any other corporation. We are not part of any other funeral company. Founded by consumers frustrated by how difficult it was to get independent information, eziFunerals supports consumers plan a funeral, compare prices and select the right funeral director anywhere, anytime.
As a long term invocare employee, I can say that ,YES, companies growth is certainly at the expense of the families. We are keeping prices high, but also taking away the level of service that other funeral companies provide for the same or less cost. Many invocare staff are looking to move out of this company, as they are placing great stress on staff (due to understaffing, aggressive management, and hiring non-funeral trained people to tell experienced funeral directors how to do funerals) ..this is all, in the end, taking the quality away from our funerals.