1. P R E S S D O S S I E R
FUNERAIRE 2007
Press Contact: Virginie Taverne – 0033 663 13 95 30 – virginietaverne@free.fr - ledragonvert.rp@free.fr
2. SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
THE EXHIBITION
… In a few figures
Product & Services Innovations
The activities
THE STUDIES
The French and Funerals – Credoc / CSNAF study
Funescope – CSNAF / Funéraire Magazine survey
FUNÉRAIRE, IN BRIEF…
3. INTRODUCTION
20 years old…
Funéraire, the international meeting of the funeral industry created by the Chambre Syndicale Nationale de l’Art
Funéraire – CSNAF (National Employer’s Syndicate for the Funeral Profession) – in 1987, is 20 years old, the age of
daring creations, innovation, resolution, …as well as maturity.
Death, a taboo subject in our society, is today (once again) becoming a subject people can talk about… Very
marketing-oriented, death is an overwhelming success in advertising…death fascinates, breaks down the limits of
‘political correctness’, is as attractive to young people who see it in video games, TV series, on T-shirts, school
bags…as to fashionistas, in handbags, jewellery or at the weekend for thrill seekers!
Away from the publicity stunts, death is a market like any other, just a little more sensitive…and in the latest Crédoc
study for the CSNAF (June 2007), it can be seen in particular that the French are both critical and demanding vis- à-vis
the services offered by those working in the funeral industry, that they are spending more and more time preparing
their funerals, that they are asking questions about the market…
So Funéraire 2007 reveals the expectations of both families and the professionals working in the sector, uncovers the
way the professions and customs are developing and points out how the industry is changing economically.
The previous editions of Funéraire have already confirmed it as the reference exhibition on an international scale for all
those involved in the Funeral sector working for professionals; its richness lies in its offer, its dynamism, its new ideas,
its expertise in detecting the needs of families before they even realise they have those needs.
4. THE EXHIBITION
For its eleventh edition, Funéraire confirms itself as a business meeting place that attracts many international funeral
directors as well as, increasingly, local authorities looking for practical solutions.
Funéraire 2007 once again looks like it will represent all activities in the industry with a very strong turnout from people
involved in all fields of work; from the ceremony to remembrance, machines and tools, materials, flowers, care and
upkeep, transport, services, Prearranged Funeral contracts, professional organisations, …a real showcase for promoting
the professions, the new ideas, the trends moving through the industry. In this way, Funéraire 2007 displays all the
changes within the industry, upheavals on the outside, structural modifications in the different sectors, new implications
and economic change on an international scale.
The representativeness of the key French players and an ever-increasing international presence: Germany, Belgium,
Spain, Italy, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, etc. for Europe; Algeria,
Cameroon, Canada, China, the United States, Hungary, India, etc. for the rest of the world strengthens the Funéraire
trade show and establishes it as the industry’s federating event; Funéraire 2007 is the unmissable event for both
exhibitors and visitors – French and European – for international dynamics.
Funéraire 2007 also welcomes international professional organisations, such as the International Federation for
Thanatologist Associations (IFTA/ FIAT), the UPFM, the CPFM…and all networks like, for example, Roc Eclerc, Le Choix
Funéraire, Point Funéplus, etc.
5. …IN A FEW FIGURES
Funéraire 2007 covers 9,264 sq m, with 211 exhibitors and around twenty countries represented, meaning everyone
involved in the Funeral industry is present :
Representation by main sectors of activity Services
7%
4% 1% 5% 5%
11% 33% 5% 28%
5%
7%
9% 16%
2% 26%
8% 28%
remembrance ceremony
care services Funeral contracts IT
machines & tools materials Internet Transport
professional organisations press Repatriation Design - creating funeral chambers
other Design - creating crematoriums Design - creating cemeteries
Remembrance Treatments
9% 2% 4%
11%
9% 3% 25%
5%
10%
14%
5%
75%
11% 17%
Cemeteries Columbariums
Tombs Remembrance gardens
Monuments Plates
Vases Flowers
Embalming Cold / Conservation
Ceramics/Porcelain Bronzes
Engraving/Sculpture Jewellery/Personal keepsakes
6. The Machines The Materials
22% 25%
37%
45%
11% 30% 30%
Excavation equipment Machines for cutting stone
Granite Marble Stone
Cremation equipment Tools and supplies
The Services Professional Organisations
5% 5%
5% 28%
5% 13%
27%
7%
16%
20% 33%
8% 28%
Federation Confederation Association Training Other Organisations
Funeral Contracts IT
Internet Transport
Repatriation Design - creating funeral chambers
Design - creating crematoriums Design - creating cemeteries
7. Product & Services Innovations
Funéraire 2007 is once again the reflection of new ideas – products or services – from the companies in the industry:
urns, reliquaries, jewels, coffins, padding, plates, material, Internet sites, ecological solutions, equipment, vehicles…
Here, in a few examples, is a showcase of the innovations for 2007:
MEMOPACK, the messenger service for your feelings: crematable funeral
ornamentation making it possible for someone to send a final message to the
deceased and therefore be close to them during the funeral service and the
cremation.
ROC ECLERC: a new cut flowers and floral arrangements
service, at affordable prices for all thanks to the unique
(40 references) and exclusive catalogue of funeral flower
arrangements from Rapid’Flore, through the website or
available in all the network’s franchises.
8. L’ARBRE À SOUVENIR®!(The Remembrance Tree): an offering from the
living to the deceased, making it possible to express their feelings to their
nearest and dearest, share their grief, make the love and the pain of the
loss, the separation into something tangible.
Made of sculpted wood, with a pedestal, a border and little removable hearts
placed on the tree that can be kept by the relatives if they so wish.
CARNET DE France: a note-book for death notices, full and independent, is available on the Internet. The use of
multimedia content coupled with an e-mail system make CarnetdeFrance.fr an innovative site, and a new reference in
terms of information distribution.
ZIANNA: ornaments for burial places, combining elegance
and lasting quality, made using traditional methods out of
molten glass and reconstituted stone using flower
themes.
BIAGINNI (REQUIEM D E S I G N ) : Urn,
objects of remembrance, originally
designed to restore the symbolic
dimension to the object in the mourning
process.
9. SUZANNE SA: Funeral monuments, "Mini-Monuments", "Urn
Houses" or "Boxes for Ashes", three new designs (INPI
patented) combining the need to conserve the ashes with the
ever more present will to commemorate and honour the
departure of a loved one.
BOCAP: Cocoon is a smooth and rounded shaped coffin, with two versions shown at
Funéraire 2007, in particular a version in laminated wood which does not use any more
glue than a traditional coffin and uses a maximum of 0.04 m3 of wood, which is 4 times
less than a solid wood coffin.
10. Debates and activities
Funéraire 2007 is also the occasion for presenting activities and debates on the major current issues, with, notably, the
participation of the CPFM, the ‘Amis du Musée du Funéraire’ (Friends of the Funeral Museum), Funéraire Magazine,
Mémoire Nécropolitaine…namely:
Thursday 15 November – 2.00 pm
Presentation of the results of the "The French and Funerals" study done for the CSNAF by CREDOC. Talk led by Raphaël
Berger and Fanette Recours from Crédoc.
DEBATES
Thursday 15 November – 4.00 pm
Networks: what are the possibilities in the funeral industry (franchising, organized businesses network, independence)?
Talk proposed by Funéraire Magazine and led by Olivier Géhin, editor of Funéraire Magazine and Jean-Michel Illien from
Franchise Management
Friday 15 November – 11.00 am
"Crematoriums, the issues and future prospects". Round table discussion chaired by Mr. Neveu, Mr. Vidallet, Mr. Bastit,
Mr. Minard, Mr. Martineau
ACTIVITIES
At the exhibition, the CPFM is organising an "information area on funerals and the environment" dealing with different
funeral-related environmental issues (waste treatment, crematorium waste, biodegradability, etc.).
11. CULTURE AND HERITAGE
Visits to Saint Denis’ Basilica organised by the Friends of the Funeral Museum
. Thursday 15 November at 2.30 pm and 4.00 pm
. Friday 16 November at 10.30 am, 12 noon, 2.30 pm and 4.00 pm
. Saturday 17 November at 10.30 am and 12 noon
Photography exhibition "Spiritualités Nécropolitaines" (Necropolitan Spiritualities) by André Chabot: funeral practices in
different religions and freethinking, presented by the Mémoire Nécropolitaine association.
"A few pictures of necropolitan spaces which show that, everywhere and throughout history, man, with the exception
of freethinkers, atheists and agnostics, afraid of the idea that death is the end of everything, has worked hard at
believing that the death of the body is full of promises of eternal spiritual life.
And so we have the Christlike imagery that exalts hope for resurrection, the House of Eternity also called the House of
Life by the Jews who try to avoid using the word death, death thought of as a blessing that promises Muslims a
thousand pleasures unknown on Earth, the Far East where Spirits regularly move between heaven and earth."
12. THE CSNAF STUDIES FOR FUNERAIRE 2007
On the occasion of the exhibition it organises every two years, the National Employer’s Syndicate for the Funeral
Profession (CSNAF) sponsors studies and surveys for the industry…
This year, the CSNAF is again presenting an indicator called "The French and Funerals", a study carried out by Crédoc in
June 2007 on a representative sample of 1012 people as well as a survey called "The Funescope" carried out by
Funéraire Magazine on 84 professionals representative of the industry.
The French and Funerals
The CSNAF has just had a new survey done by CREDOC on 1012 individuals aged 40 and over, regarding practices
linked to funerals. The 2005 indicator has consequently been updated.
A changing society, the breakup of the family unit, the steady drop in religious practices…: even death is changing!
Funeral rites and organisation are therefore changing too. Cremation has become a lot more common; where ashes
should be put is provoking problems and questions, practices are drastically changing due to a lack of ceremony, of
trimmings
This new survey shows, among other things, that the French are leaving the organisation of their funerals to their
relatives or descendants less and less often. Whether through a Prearranged Funeral contract or by leaving instructions,
more and more people are choosing to plan the organization of their own funeral. By relieving relatives of the
organisation of the funeral, are we not depriving them of a prerequisite stage in the mourning process? The question
asked here is about how death and mourning should be situated for those who remain behind.
Preparing your own funeral is becoming more and more common!
More and more people over the age of 40 are thinking about leaving instructions regarding the organization of their
funeral. In the previous CREDOC FUNERAIRE 2005 indicator, 35% of the people in this age bracket said they had left
instructions about how they would like their funeral to be organised, or were thinking about doing so. In 2007, this has
13. risen to 41%. Though it may be a good idea to organise your estate while still alive, in order to spare the survivors the
tricky question of inheritance, organising the funeral is traditionally the responsibility of the relatives: choosing the
coffin, the type of funeral monument, the ceremony, etc.
There is no lack of objective reasons for this behaviour: the main one being to avoid being a financial burden
on children, even in the next world. In fact, 58% of those who have taken out or are thinking of taking out funeral
insurance do it for this reason. The fact that families live spread out across several geographical zones makes it more
difficult for the relatives to organise a funeral, and in such a short space of time. Organising your funeral yourself helps
to avoid family problems. As people are living longer, more and more elderly people live alone, with no family close by:
leaving instructions – by means of a Prearranged Funeral contract or with their solicitor – is becoming a necessity. For
some people, this would also be a way of not bothering others – the next of kin – and not having to rely on weaker
family solidarity.
Organising your own funeral fits the current trend of modern man wanting to control everything. Organising your own
funeral is a way of putting off death, by artificially extending the existence of your will. The deceased will be present at
their own ceremony, even though their body no longer belongs to them.
Funerals prepared more often
100%
80%
65 59
60%
no
40%
16 21 some instructions
20%
19 20 yes
0%
2005 2007
The drop in religious observance is leading to ceremony diversity
Organising your own funeral is also a consequence of the drop in religious observance in France. In a world of believers,
rituals dictate an unchanging ceremony that everyone respects, with very little leeway possible. This is no longer the
case today, even though the number of religious ceremonies at funerals is dropping only slowly, structurally the
religious aspect is in decline.
14. Cremation and burial on an equal footing
Though the secular republic has been fairly successful in inventing civil marriage, it has not yet proposed an alternative
to the religious funeral. This lack of a model to follow means that people opting for a civil funeral have had to reinvent
the ceremony. Consequently, each individual creates their own ritual.
The wishes of people preparing their own funeral remain relatively unchanged: cremation remains steady, envisaged by
41% of the people questioned, against 39% for burial – while 20% remain undecided. This data can be compared to the
answers collected in 2005: burial is chosen primarily due to religious convictions (28% of answers from people over 40
years old show they are considering burial). On the contrary, cremation confirms it is suited to contemporary habits:
the first reason for choosing cremation is “not to put constraints on the family” (35%), the second “for ecological
reasons” (24%). Once again we see a sort of embarrassment, or even fear of bothering others: death is a material
burden that it is best to try and lighten for your nearest and dearest.
Funeral Choice
20%
39%
Cremation does not really correspond to a ceremony rooted in
our collective memory and spreading the ashes still needs
41% organising. On the other hand, all those who are considering
burial have a specific idea about the place where they will be laid
Burial Cremation Undecided
to rest:
! for 48%, in a family tomb,
! for 41% in the local cemetery,
! for 11% in the cemetery of another district (sometimes
where their holiday home is).
15. The Professionals seen by the French
So that they can prepare their funeral properly, the French put their trust in the professionals in the funeral industry:
83% say they have "a good or excellent image" of these professionals. Private funeral director’s companies are the
most used, as 82% of those surveyed have already dealt with them, local government authorities having been
contacted by only 9% of the people questioned.
Choice of professional
Funeral
Directors
30% 31% Insurance
companies
Banks
Other
12%
27%
The high satisfaction rating does not mean that the Image of the professionals (in %)
French expect any less than they would from any
service provider: attention paid to the cost is very 2007 17 65 8 10
Excellent
high. A reasonable price is quoted as the first or Good
second criteria of importance by 60% of those Bad
2005 23 58 9 10
questioned.
No opinion
With this in mind, the business of death is a business
0 50 100
like any other: economic constraints are perceptible.
Relatives are now more readily accept to spend less
on funerals.
16. A warm reception is the second most important expectation, mentioned by 54% of those surveyed. Requests for a full
service are up by 5 points, from 28% in 2005 to 33% in 2007.
Yet, whether you are organising your own funeral or the funeral of a relative, it is advisable to have a single contact,
offering a full range of services for one invoice.
Similarly, there is a real demand for a label guaranteeing consumers service quality: 32% of people
questioned in 2007 would be prepared to pay 5% more for such services. If this label cost 10% more, 29% accept the
idea in 2007, against 23% in 2005. Faced with a multitude of service providers, often met in emergency conditions,
with no previous market research carried out, the consumer needs reassurance, signs of quality to help them in their
choice.
The Prearranged Funeral contract
58% of French people say they know what this is. The Prearranged Funeral contract makes it possible to organise and
finance your funeral while you are still alive, by paying the inherent costs in advance. It can also – but this is not an
obligation – define the way the funeral ceremony will be organised down to the tiniest detail or just some particular
aspects like the ceremony. 25% of the population are potentially concerned by this, from those who have already
signed one (12% of people surveyed) and those who are thinking of signing one (13%).
Reason for subscribing
financial
aspect
18%
relieve
relatives
24% other
58%
17. On the contrary, the people that haven’t subscribed to a Prearranged Funeral contract have almost certainly not done
so because it is still too early to think about it (1st reason, with 29% of answers) and also, for the second choice (25%)
“because it is important for [their] relatives to organize the funeral”. A more traditional approach to funerals but
perhaps more thoughtful: mourning begins with the organisation of the funeral. The different administrative tasks to be
sorted out make it possible, over time, to symbolise the absence of the other person, on a day-to-day basis, they make
the disappearance of a dear one more palpable.
Half of the people who have signed a Prearranged Funeral contract, or are thinking about signing one, have no idea how
much they cost, while the other half estimate the cost at "3,800 on average. This is less expensive than the
estimation given by people not choosing or not wanting to subscribe to a Prearranged Funeral contract, who estimate
the cost at "4,000 on average.
The French and All Saints’ Day (Toussaint)
66% of French people questioned say that they go to the cemetery on All Saints’ Day. This figure was also 66% in
2005.
Number of people going to the cemetery on All Saints' Day (%)
systematically
2007 45 5 16 33 1
every other year
every 3/4 years
2005 51 15 32 2 never
not concerned
0 50 100
18. Conclusions
Out of 1012 people surveyed
• 39% are considering burial,
• 41% cremation
• 82% have a good image of Funeral Director’s companies
• 42% know about the Prearranged Funeral contract (especially the cost)
• 12% are interested in a Prearranged Funeral contract
• 13% have already signed a Prearranged Funeral contract
• 41% are interested, other than Prearranged Funeral contract, in a service that takes full charge
of all the physical organisation of the funeral!
• the preferred companies are the funeral directors.
A consumer trend can also be distinguished; the offer organisation of funeral services: offers proposing a product package are
increasing.
(Source: "The French and Funerals", CSNAF-Crédoc, June 2005 and June 2007).
19. THE FUNESCOPE
The FUNESCOPE 2007 survey, carried out in July on a representative sample of 84 companies chosen from across the
whole of France, was financed by the Chambre Syndicale Nationale de l’Art Funéraire (CSNAF) and run by the specialist
press review, Funéraire Magazine.
From this study, some information in figures about the practices of the professionals in the funeral industry can be
given, notably:
! The national average cost of funerals for the families, excluding the cost of providing a burial place, is 3,093
Euros for a burial and 2,548 Euros for a cremation.
These averages include VAT, the turnover of the professional organising the funeral as well as all other expenses
laid out for the family excluding the purchase of floral items. These additional expenses can include the cost of
professionals working in the cemetery, to proceed with the burial, the press announcement, the cost of the
church service, local taxes and police fees. For a cremation, they include the cost of the crematorium services.
Cremation therefore appears to be less expensive in the invoice immediately payable by the family with a
difference of 550 Euros. It can also avoid the need to purchase a plot in the cemetery and provide a burial
chamber and monument.
! Where the funeral takes place makes a difference to the expense for the families. For a burial, the funeral costs
on average 3,463 Euros in the Paris area, 3,201 Euros in a town outside Paris and 2,896 Euros in the
countryside.
A more marked difference can however be seen in the case of a cremation because this costs 2,967 Euros in the
Paris area, 2,364 Euros in a town outside Paris and 2,617 Euros in the countryside as transportation to the
crematorium adds to the cost in this case.
20. The Funescope 2007 survey looks into the average turnover of the professional receiving the family. Professionally,
they are paid 2,291 Euros (excl. VAT) for a total of 3,093 Euros invoiced for a burial. They are paid 1,790 (excl. VAT)
for a total of 2,548 for a cremation.
Included in this turnover, the coffin represents an average expense of 920 Euros (excl. VAT) for a burial and 530 Euros
(excl. VAT) for a cremation.
The national average for fees received by the professional for the procedures and formalities related to the organisation
of the funeral is around 160 Euros (excl. VAT).
On this specific point, a marked variation can be seen depending on where the funeral takes place: 116 Euros (excl.
VAT) in the countryside, 194 Euros (excl. VAT) in a town outside Paris and 277 Euros (excl. VAT) in the Paris area.
! As far as providing a burial place is concerned, the national average price including VAT for a burial chamber
represents an expense of 1,800 Euros. But in the Paris area, the average price amounts to 2,450 Euros. The
national average price including VAT for a monument represents an expense of 3,223 Euros; this price can drop
to an average as low as 2,035 Euros outside Paris.
! As cremation is becoming more and more popular, families are more frequently choosing to buy a cremation plot.
In this case, the cost of the vault that will hold the urn amounts to an average of 270 Euros (incl. VAT) while the
monument for this type of plot costs on average 1,230 Euros (incl. VAT). When it is possible to opt for a
compartment in the columbarium, the average expense for this adds up to a total of 393 Euros.
