Here is a comment recently made on this blog that explains much about SCI Funeral Homes, the NYSE:SCI branding, and truly family owned Funeral Homes.
Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.
“DignityMemorial.com gives you a list of SCI locations under the Dignity brand name. Of course, there are other brand names as well that might not show up on that site but are still owned by SCI. A person should ignore such tags on a business such as “Serving the community for 50 years” and look for those saying “privately owned” and “family owned.” Funeral homes that are family owned are generally pretty proud of the fact, at least in my area, and will state as much in their advertising and sometimes signage.
Most SCI locations are not going to charge 200% higher; that would price them out of the market and would be counter productive. 10% would be more typical, at least if it is decided that the target demographic will pay that.
SCI has a department in its corporate office called Strategic Pricing, which checks out all the pricing of the competition and set the prices for the SCI locations in that market accordingly. Not all SCI locations charge the same prices (even for the same items and services). If a particular location services a demographic that is assumed to be willing to pay more (such as Geo. H. Lewis & Sons in Houston, where Houston’s movers and shakers all go to be buried), that location will charge more than the SCI location a few blocks over that serves a more middle-class or working-class demographic.”
