Walmart has started selling caskets and urns on its website at prices that undercut many funeral homes. Discount warehouse Costco began making coffins available a few years ago. Are the stores being tacky, or just offering shoppers a bargain in a time of need?
A bargain is a bargain: "The price of being dead just dropped," says Douglas A. McIntyre in 24/7 Wall St., and, in this economy, that's "a good thing." With Walmart offering caskets for as little as $999 -- shipped within 48 hours -- mourning shoppers can save money without resorting to buying or building a pine box.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why AI means it's more important than ever to check terms and conditionsIn The Spotlight WeTransfer row over training AI models on user data shines spotlight on dangers of blindly clicking 'Accept'
-
Mis-sold car finance: who will be entitled to compensationThe Explainer City regulator to launch payout scheme after Supreme Court ruling spares motor industry's 'worst-case scenario'
-
Rosorange: the chic 'love child' of orange wine and roséThe Week Recommends Peachy to look at and crisp to drink, here's to the wine of the summer
