Glass-Front Niches: Helping Families Tell the Full Story of Their Loved One’s Life

Coming out of the Covid 19 pandemic, cremation rates everywhere are at an all-time high increasing the demand for cremation memorialization as many consumers have a clearer view of the value of permanent memorialization. Whether planning for their own end of life decisions or having experienced the passing of a loved one, people are realizing when they take cremated remains home or scatter them, they leave no lasting record of a life well lived. Families are searching for better memorialization options that help them tell their story or the story of their loved ones.

“When considering cremation, families turn to funeral homes and cemeteries to understand their options,” R. Michael Eddy-Herrera, president of Matthews Cemetery Products said. “It is our job to educate these families about the importance of permanent memorialization, and to provide them with a wide variety of final disposition choices after cremation. By comprehensively serving cremation families’ needs, we remain relevant.”

As more families learn they have options when making cremation arrangements, the conversation is shifting from “Just scatter me” to “What are my options for a permanent memorial after cremation?” Choosing cremation offers great flexibility, including an incredible variety of permanent memorialization choices that help families remember their loved ones and preserve their story for future generations.

Because families are seeking more meaningful cremation memorialization choices, glass-front niches have become the fastest growing segment of cremation memorialization. Creating a memorial that tells a person’s full story goes beyond a memorial that only includes a birth date, death date and maybe an emblem. A glassfront niche offers the opportunity for so much more personalization and really illustrates the “dash” between the birth and death dates and truly tells the story of someone’s life. If you are not currently offering these one-of-a-kind tributes to the families you serve, you may be missing an opportunity.

Families Can Create One-of-a-Kind Memorials

Just like families choosing burial, families choosing cremation want flexibility and find great comfort in carefully curating a special memorial. Glass-front niches allow families the ultimate ability to tell their loved one’s personal story by displaying precious photos and mementos along with an urn. Which is more impactful: A bible emblem as a representation of mom’s devotion or displaying the well-worn pages of the beloved bible she read nightly?

Because of the high level of personalization, no two glass-front niches will ever look the same. From a lifetime achievement award to a beloved baseball or grandpa’s reading glasses, there is no more personal way to highlight an individual’s passions and accomplishments to tell the story for future generations.

A glass front-niche keeps a loved one’s memory front and center and in close proximity to family and friends to visit, creating an intimacy that is unmatched. Many other options simply do not compare to the special remembrance created by a well-decorated glass-front niche.

Cemeteries and Funeral Homes Can Generate Additional Revenue

Glass-front niches are highly desired by families as a premium form of memorialization, driving profitability and a strong ROI. Consider how many niches you can fit in the space one casket requires. With expert guidance and planning you can set a pricing strategy to accommodate a variety of budgets and family needs, including varying niche sizes, special feature niches and more. Niches also provide an opportunity for ongoing revenue streams, including keeping families engaged by encouraging them to redecorate the niche for holidays and other special occasions.

The flexibility of glass-front niches makes them appealing for funeral homes and cemeteries. Because they require a much smaller footprint compared to most other forms of ground or mausoleum burial, you can install them just about anywhere, turning previously unused space into a revenue-generating area. From hallways to office space, you can even convert a garage to a beautiful room of glass-front niches and build new heritage for your location. Designs can easily be scaled to plan for future capacity and phases as the demand for cremation in your area grows.

Every glass-front niche is as unique as the cemetery and the families they serve, providing a prime opportunity for meaningful themes and personalization. Technological advancements mean more design choices than ever. From traditional to contemporary extrusions made of bronze, aluminum or steel to beautifully detailed backgrounds images, custom niche frames and more inviting lighting. Anything is possible. 

Cremation families in different parts of the country want different things so taking the time to understand the local market is critical so that you may plan a niche that truly serves your community’s heritage and interests with special, highly personal memorialization.

Customer Commitment

Matthews Aurora™ Funeral Solutions is committed to helping families move from grieving to remembrance by providing products of superior craftsmanship and solutions that meet the needs of every family who wish to honor and remember their loved one. As a leading provider to the funeral home industry, we offer our customers an extensive variety of high-quality wood, metal and cremation caskets, urns, keepsakes, memorial jewelry, stationery and other programs, products and solutions. The Matthews Aurora™ Funeral Solutions team is focused on providing our funeral home customers with outstanding service and support, helping your firm better serve the families in your community. For more information about how we can help your firm, please contact your Matthews Aurora™ Funeral Service Consultant or call us at 1-800-457-1111.