Staff Reporter
WHEN UK-based funeral plan provider Compare Funerals spotted a gap in Spain’s market in 2020, it was a bit of a no brainer.
Founders Jack Smith and Benjamin Beck-Davies were used to operating in the highly secure and regulated UK market, where client funds were always held and protected in a trust.
Whereas in Spain, many of the smaller providers did not do this. Meanwhile, the larger and more established funeral companies charged an arm and a leg for all the bells and whistles.
Jack Smith told the Olive Press: “We wanted to bridge this gap.
“Our aim was to make funeral plans more affordable but also secure, bringing in the regulated environment we were used to operating in from the UK.”
Compare Funerals’ journey began in the UK as a brokerage, offering funeral plans from various British-based companies.
Jack and Ben were savvy enough to spot that with the passing of cultural icon David Bowie and his election to have a direct cremation in 2016, a new trend was set in motion.
Compare Funerals were quick to capitalise with their introduction of direct cremation services to Spain, from their offices in Sotogrande.
“We were surprised that none of the existing providers offered direct cremations, a service increasingly preferred in the UK,” Jack explained.
“Since our arrival, we’ve seen that about 80-85% of our plans sold are for direct cremations.”
Other providers soon followed suit, a testament to Compare Funerals’ foresight and innovation.
“It’s the sincerest form of flattery,” Jack said. “We’ve blazed a trail in the funeral service industry in Spain, and we’re proud of that.”
As Compare Funerals continues to grow, their commitment to affordable, transparent, and respectful services remains unwavering.
The experience of their clients is always paramount, reflecting a new era in funeral care that honours both the departed and the living.
