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Walmart Begins Selling Caskets and Urns Online

by Matthew Zuras on October 29, 2009 at 01:25 PM

Walmart, America's most sprawling and infamous retailer, is now attempting to corner the death market. The discount warehouse has recently launched a line of caskets and urns on its online store, Walmart.com. The caskets run anywhere from $895 to $3,199, but for the moderate price of $1,699, for instance, you can get the Executive Privilege casket for your business-class loved one. Although difficult to find via the menu navigation, the caskets are curiously listed under the 'For the Home' category. We'd hope that's not where they're going to stay.

Of course, planning your interment online is nothing new. Costco has long sold burial boxes, urns, pet urns, and funeral flower arrangements on its site. What's more, Costco even offers next-day delivery when you're really in a pinch. That said, can we compare the two retailers' funerary wares? Walmart allows you to pay for your casket over twelve months with no interest, while Costco's with-interest plan could, in this economy, put you in a financial hole along with an earthly one. Costco's price floor is a bit higher than Walmart's, but then again who couldn't justify paying a little extra for the blushing Kentucky Rose casket?

Although neither Walmart nor Costco are expected to make a dent in funeral homes' ledgers, Walmart's sheer customer base should cause any 'Six Feet Under'-style mom-and-pop undertaker to tremble. But questions still remain: where does one store a casket while still living? And why would anyone need expedited shipping, anyway? Isn't that why we have formaldehyde and fridges? [From: Google/Associated Press]

Tags: death, funeral, funny, online shopping, OnlineShopping, walmart, walmart.com, weird

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