(February 2013) In France, the bereaved have more and more an eye on the price in their decisions about gravestones for their deceased: for 98% cost is the most important criterion, reports a non-representative survey among 80 gravestone-masons and undertakers. The magazine Pierre Actual has reported about the results in its issue 12/2012. The survey was realized by a cooperation of granite producers in France’s Tarn region.
Also important for the clients’ decision is the service. According to the questioned entrepreneurs 88% of their customers wished more information. 60% were open for „more personalization“ of the gravestone, 44% were interested in „more originality“. All in all only 65% of the customers had an idea of what they wanted when they entered the parlour. They visited several companies.
For the future, the questioned entrepreneurs see a „strong pressure from low cost offers“. Low prices might destabilize the market and damage the image of the sector, they say.
If a gravestone had its origin in France or not was only a topic for 44% of the customers, so the questioned companies.
Yet for the time being, products from France still make up 60% of the sales. 18% have their origin in China, 13% in India and 9% in other countries.
79% of the questioned companies said that the first semester of 2012 had been „good“ compared to the same period of the year before. For 14% it had been „better“, for 7% „much better“. One quarter of the questioned expected better business over the whole 2012 compared to 2011.
Translation: pebe
Pierre Actual (French, download 5 €, report comprised in http://www.pierreactual.fr/n911-12-2012/120371-kiosque.html)