If you have a project involving the installation of numerous Columbarium units, how can you effectively market them to general consumers?

Before analyzing this question, it’s essential to understand the primary target audience for Columbarium products.

Due to traditional beliefs in “burial for peace” and economic considerations, a significant portion of deceased individuals in rural areas are placed in public columbariums or cemeteries managed by villages or towns. In urban areas, most choose public cemeteries. Only a small fraction opt for commercially operated columbariums or underground memorial halls.

Traditionally, Columbarium niche products are needed primarily by families of the deceased or those relocating ancestral remains. It is rare for individuals to purchase a Columbarium niche in advance for themselves.

Therefore, the majority of Columbarium purchases are made by relatives and friends of the deceased.

The reasons users choose public cemeteries or village columbariums include:

• Public cemeteries (or columbariums) are more affordable.

• Cemeteries align better with the traditional Chinese belief in “burial for peace.”

• Choices are often constrained by local regulations.

• It is more convenient for relatives and friends to pay their respects.

So, if you want to persuade them to spend more on your underground memorial niches or Columbarium products, what advantages does your product offer?

We can optimize our approach in three aspects:

• Culture

• Product

• Service

1. Culture

In the past Columbarium niches were merely functional spaces without additional value. However, in recent years, temples have started offering underground lotus niches precisely because of their cultural and spiritual significance. They provide a sense of religious sanctity, allowing the deceased to be blessed and ensuring a peaceful passage to the afterlife.

While some may view this as superstition, it doesn’t diminish its appeal to believers. For them, storing ashes in a temple is preferable to a public cemetery.

That said, a large portion of the population are atheists or follow other religions. Therefore, Mr. Luo, Sales Manager of Columbarium factory HuaHeng in Jiangxi, China, believes that the future of ash storage lies in cultural preservation—creating a sense of belonging through “home culture.”

The residences of the living are called “yang dwellings,” while the resting places of the deceased are called “yin dwellings.” Both are homes—just in different realms.

This is why, during festivals like Qingming and Dongzhi, people burn paper money, cars, houses, and clothes as offerings to their ancestors—they believe their loved ones also have a home in the afterlife.

By infusing the cold, functional Columbarium with the warmth of “home culture,” we can create a greater sense of belonging for the deceased, thereby touching the hearts of their relatives and friends.

2. Product

While culture provides the concept, it must be supported by tangible products and services.

In terms of product innovation, we can take inspiration from the image above and decorate the interior of the Columbarium niche with elements like sofas, televisions, and couplets.

Through discussions with clients, we’ve gathered creative ideas such as reserving space for the deceased’s cherished belongings—like a teacup, trophy, memorial album, or certificate—to serve as eternal companions.

Another idea is to create a memorial album where family members can document significant events through letters. These can be stored in the niche or burned during ancestral worship ceremonies.

Not long ago, a viral story featured a residential community in Tianjin where each building contained small rooms sold as family Columbarium units. Its popularity stemmed from the sense of belonging it offered and its affordability compared to traditional cemeteries.

When designing Columbarium design units for clients, we can also create family-style niches. These not only highlight the family’s status but also offer better services and cost savings when purchased collectively.

For sellers, selling a family-style Columbarium unit worth hundreds of thousands of dollars at once is far more efficient than selling individual niches.

There are many more aspects of product innovation to explore—we’ll delve deeper next time.

3. Service

In countries where ash storage is well-developed, such as those in Southeast Asia, services are highly personalized. For example, a publicly listed company in Malaysia offers the following:

• Customized rituals for relic reburials.

• Spaces for holding memorial services during ash storage.

• Tailored ceremonies for different religious beliefs.

• Sutra chanting or blessing ceremonies during major festivals.

• Dedicated staff to assist during visits for worship.

Currently, basic funeral services include body transportation, encoffining, ceremonial rituals, religious services, venue setup, offering arrangements, burial services, and post-funeral support. These services ensure the deceased passes away peacefully and allow families to fulfill their filial duties.

With new public cemeteries no longer being approved and existing cemetery inventory dwindling, indoor ash storage will inevitably become a trend.

However, simplistic and impersonal storage solutions will fail to meet users’ emotional and ideological needs. As funeral reforms continue to advance, this contradiction will become increasingly apparent.

Therefore, the future demands products that fulfill both the practical need for storage and the emotional needs of users.

Cultural funeral services may be the answer.

The above elaborates on the aspects of culture, product, and service. We hope this provides valuable insights for service providers in the industry.

Company: HuaHeng Columbarium Factory, Jiangxi, China
Author: Mr. Luo (Sales Manager)