The Next Big Innovation: Tailored Designs™ by Thacker

Funeral Industry News Funeral Industry Press Releases November 2, 2017
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The Next Big Innovation: Tailored Designs™ by Thacker

Thacker Caskets has released the next big innovation to the casket industry, the ability to change a casket interior for an at-need delivery through its brand-new program, Tailored Designs™ by Thacker. Tailored Designs™ features eight in-trend, modern woven fabrics that a family can choose from to further customize and personalize their casket.

The ability to change an interior on an at-need delivery basis was the most often cited “unfulfilled gap” according to funeral directors in the Funeral Service Insider’s 2016 Casket Survey. In the survey, one funeral director questioned, “Why do all feminine caskets have a pink interior? What if I want a pink shell, but a white interior?” while another added, “People often ask if the interior can be switched out.” Finally, funeral directors have a solution through Thacker’s Tailored Designs™ program.

Over the yearlong product development phase of Tailored Designs™, Thacker kept two main goals top of mind – to be able to fulfill a family’s request for interior color changes and to offer the family the ability to update to a modern and in-trend fabric.

Requests for color changes to the interior of the casket have existed ever since the industry moved away from customizing caskets and moved to set, static product lines. Since then, no major casket company has pursued the ability to change interiors for at-need deliveries.

The two primary casket fabrics used in the industry have been crepe and velvet, both of which reached peak popularity in clothing and home decorating decades ago. More recently, the industry received a warm reception on white eyelet and rosetan basketweave fabrics that were introduced through primarily two wood casket models. Since that introduction, Thacker experienced several requests from funeral homes and families who have seen these interiors in caskets in the selection room and were wanting to upgrade the interior of the casket they selected.

After thorough test marketing at multiple funeral homes, Thacker selected the eight fabric options to be included in its Tailored Designs™ program: Blue Basketweave, White Basketweave, Rosetan Basketweave, Pink Linwood, White Eyelet, White Pinstripe, White Floral and a RealTreeTM & Duck Cloth combination – these fabrics proved to be the most popular during the test marketing.

Danielle Thacker, VP of Sales and Marketing for Thacker remarked, “Crepes and velvets are fabrics of yesteryear – I, like most Americans, don’t have a crepe dress, nor do I have a velvet couch. However, I do have an eyelet dress, my husband has multiple pinstripe shirts he wears to work and my drapes are made of basketweave.”

The decision for families on caskets no longer revolves around un-important casket features such as gauge and round- ends – today’s families no longer see any value in these features, and these features bring no benefit to families. “Today, families base their casket decision on two factors; the overall eye appeal of the casket and the price. Families are asking for interior personalization but to no avail. Tailored Designs™ by Thacker is now giving funeral directors a chance to answer YES to these family’s requests.

Tailored Designs™ by Thacker is the latest in Thacker’s path of innovation and growth. “As a company, our path of innovation follows those unfulfilled gaps in the market,” said CJ Thacker, CEO of Thacker Caskets. He adds, “Remembrance Line, iArrange™, Thacker’s Value Line are all wonderful examples of products and services that Thacker has developed with the purpose of fulfilling those unfulfilled gaps – and Tailored Designs™ is simply the next example of Thacker’s innovation.”

Since 1939, Thacker has worked to become the leading family owned funeral supplier in the industry. To request a Tailored Designs™ by Thacker brochure with fabric samples please call 800.637.8891 or visit www.thackercaskets.com/tailoreddesigns