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American Press
24-06-2025
- General
- American Press
Pre-planning: What to know about prepaid funeral plans
(Metro Creative Services) Death is inevitable. It is something everyone will have to face and it's something that's not usually brought up at a dinner party or holiday gathering — but, in the end, someone has to take responsibility and make important decisions. Pre-planning is a way to take the burden off loved ones and make the grieving process a little easier during their dark days. Canon Cart grew up around the funeral home business. His grandfather worked at Johnson Funeral Home and he would stay with him often during school breaks. Cart is now the advanced funeral planner at the funeral home. 'One question I tend to ask every family that comes in to pre-plan is, 'What is the most important reason you're doing this today,' and 99 percent of the time they say back, 'I do not want to burden my loved ones with making these arrangements',' Cart said. Cart said planning a funeral involves huge decisions and finite details — and often those decisions need to be made within a 36-hour window. 'Imagine making all of those decisions at the time of need, on the worst day of your life, when you've just lost a loved one. You can imagine it's pretty overwhelming, especially if it's not something you were prepared for,' he said. 'Trying to make meaningful plans and also incorporating everyone into those plans can be difficult and there's one person who can probably make those plans the most meaningful for that family — probably the person themselves.' Cart said he understands how uncomfortable it is to talk about one's end of life. 'I think many people get intimidated whenever it comes down to talking about themselves because it makes it real, makes them realize we're not invincible to death.' But, he said, at the end of the day the services are not for the deceased, they are for the living. There's a lot of information needed when it comes to a death certificate — including the full legal names of one's parents, birth certificate, education level and more. 'Many people don't realize what all is needed for a death certificate, they're shocked and it is a lot. It also helps with writing the obituary, as well,' he said. For veterans, they also need a DD Form 214 for the presentation of the casket flag and the playing of taps. Service details are the next item on the list to be discussed. Those include things such as open casket or closed, rosary or not, two-day traditional service with a wake or funeral and visitation on the same day, casket spray and flowers, possible Bible verses to be read, and hymns or songs to be played at the service. 'Sometimes families are spread out and everyone is not in Southwest Louisiana, so we also have to acknowledge how many people will be attending the service. If having a service all in one day, how would a mid-day service affect people being able to attend, giving folks an ample opportunity to pay their respects for the family. There's a lot of details that goes into it that people don't always think of,' he said. Pallbearers are also discussed. Usually there are six to eight required and sometimes that takes people aback because they're not sure who that would be. Then the topic moves to presentation — how the deceased would want to be dressed. 'Some people want to be buried in a suit, while others might want to be buried in a gown, personal articles like wedding rings, rosaries, or if you were in a fraternity, pins possible on your lapel are discussed,' he explained. Cost is also a factor when deciding whether or not to pre-plan. With pre-planning, the current cost of the funeral is locked in. 'By being able to secure today's prices, this is the cheapest that funeral services will ever be, ever, the same thing goes for everything else,' Cart said. Cart said obituaries are often the hardest discussion because most people are not comfortable writing their own. Following the obituary discussion, specific selections such as a casket or urn, personalizations, memorial packages, stationary, prayers cards, thank you cards, photos, slideshows, possible streaming services and more are addressed. 'I always tell families to be very conversational about talking about your final wishes. Many conversations always come up after attending someone else's and if you bring it up, you'll be surprised how many people have actually thought about it and have ideas on what they want,' he said. 'I always explain to people as they're sitting here pre-planning how in this environment this decision is 10 times easier than it would be for anybody else. If your kids have to come here and choose from 20 different caskets they're going to have a way harder time than you're having right now, so keep that in mind as we discuss these things.' He said it's also important to expose younger family members to the funeral service. 'I think it's so important that this generation needs to understand and be able to experience it that way they understand what has happened,' he said.
Scottish Sun
14-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Scottish Sun
Aldi's £15 ‘garden bar' will help you enjoy drinks outside in the sunshine this weekend – but you'll have to be quick
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ALDI is selling a chic and practical garden bar, perfect for enjoying drinks in the sun. With temperatures remaining high over the coming days, Brits across the country are likely making plans to chill out in the sunshine. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Aldi's bar cart is perfect for enjoying drinks in the sun Credit: Getty 3 The garden bar will make you the envy of your neighbours Credit: Aldi 3 Wheels mean the product can be easily transported across the patio Credit: Aldi And whether you're hosting a BBQ, or catching up with friends, Aldi's Bar Cart, is bound to leave your guests impressed. The stylish black cart boasts two levels, meaning there's plenty of room to stock all of your favourite tipples. It even has built in bottle and wine glass holders, so there's no need to trek back and forth to the kitchen. It's super easy to assemble, and comes on wheels, so you can easily transport it across the patio. Plus the handy gadget is just £14.99, making it perfect for those keen to pinch pennies. Aldi said: "Get ready to host the best garden party of the year. "This Bar Cart will ensure you have everything you need to keep the drinks flowing." The 44 x 40 x 75cm cart is available now as part of Aldi's Specialbuys. Aldi launches new Specialbuys in the middle of its stores every Thursday and Sunday, with the budget supermarket stocking everything from beauty buys to garden gadgets. However, Specialbuys are only available whilst stocks last, so you better hurry and snap up you Bar Cart quick. We made our boring new build garden a Love Island style haven with bar & hot tub, but trolls say detail 'ruined our day' Another Aldi bargain perfect for the hot spring weather is the concrete citrine candle. The candle keeps pesky bugs away from your garden, and is priced at just £4.99. The candle conveniently comes in different shapes and sizes to suit the look of your garden table or patio. Shoppers have the choice of either black or grey in rectangular shape, or white in a round mould. Best shops for garden bargains WHILST garden centres offer a huge selection of garden bargains, if you're on a budget, here's where you need to head... B&M: Shoppers have raved about the huge selection of cheap buys from B&M that will add style to your garden this summer - from cheap artificial rose garlands to bargain string lights. Home Bargains: You can also stock up on bargain buys from Home Bargains - there's £1.29 buys that'll brighten up your garden and cheap lights too. Tesco: It's also worth visiting supermarkets such as Tesco if you need to stock up on outdoor plants and stylish outdoor lighting. Sainsbury's: If you're on a budget, Sainsbury's are selling solar lights for only £1.50 - but you'll need to be quick to nab them. And the bargain supermarket is also selling individual garden fence panels which can be used to give your outdoor space a new lease on life. The £5.99 fence is made from a durable powder-coated metal, which is also anti-rust and UV resistant. Measuring at 91.19 x 71.12cm, the fence features clips which allow you to link multiple panels together. Its whimsical design can give your garden a fairytale look, transforming it into a decorative summer haven. Items such as a garden arch and the Solar Stainless Steel Bollard Stake Lights pair well with the fence panels for more elaborate gardens.
Axios
12-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Cart.com touts $1.6B valuation following $50M fundraise
is now valued at $1.6 billion after raising an additional $50 million in funding, the company tells Axios. Why it matters: Cart acquired OceanX in December and plans to close another one or two deals by the end of 2025, CEO Omair Tariq says. What they're saying:"We'll continue to be very acquisitive," Tariq says. "This capital just makes a lot of that stuff easier." The e-commerce logistics startup is already eyeing acquisition targets, but Tariq declined to specify whether they would be large deals or tuck-ins. "I would imagine our competitors are looking at similar deals," he says. Follow the money: BlackRock and Neuberger Berman led the financing, alongside new investors, such as eGateway Capital. The company has raised $475 million to-date Cart is on track to cross $500 million in revenue this year, Tariq says. Catch up quick: Cart was valued at $1.2 billion ahead of its $130 million Series C raise extension last July. Last April, Cart acquired Amify, an Amazon marketplace optimization and advertising solution, and in the past year it has onboarded customers like Authentic Brands Group and Bluestar Alliance. State of play: Many e-commerce shippers have been walloped by the closure of the de minimis loophole, which allowed small shipments into the U.S. duty-free. "A lot of the weaker players are being taken out, which is optimizing the competitive landscape for us to come in and swoop in and take over and help those customers," Tariq says. By the numbers: Cart's logistics network spans 18 omnichannel facilities, growing from 13 in the past year.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Instacart and DoorDash go head-to-head on ad tech
You can find original article here Supermarketnews. Subscribe to our free daily Supermarketnews newsletter. Competition in the grocery delivery industry remains hot, as rivals Instacart and DoorDash continue their race to build business partnerships with grocers and capture ad dollars. The two San Francisco-based food delivery tech companies made separate announcements on Tuesday, touting their advertising prowess and growing reach in the omnichannel grocery sector. Instacart continued its growing presence in brick-and-mortar stores, announcing that its 7,000-plus brand partners can now advertise on the digital screens of its AI-powered Caper Carts. The last-mile delivery service also announced Tuesday that it is partnering with Hy-Vee on its Carrot Ads function, which enables grocers to offer ads on their own ecommerce mobile and websites. The Caper Cart update means shoppable display campaigns will appear on both the Instacart Marketplace online and on the smart carts' digital screens at brick-and-mortar locations. The carts interact with shoppers as they make their way through the aisles, deploying digital ads as they approach the relevant products within the store. 'For example, Diana's Bananas can launch an Easter campaign through Instacart Ads Manager, showcasing its various flavors both online and in-store. Customers browsing the Instacart Marketplace can see the ad online, while in-store customers can see it on the digital screen of the Caper Cart. On the Caper Cart, customers can see the ad in the frozen aisle, add the item to their basket, and check out directly from the cart,' Instacart explained in the press release. Instacart's VP of Ads Product Ali Miller said the new tech, described as a 'one-stop advertising platform,' enables brands to create and deploy a single campaign across the Instacart Ads ecosystem. "Brands face the complexity of navigating hundreds of retail media networks, and we want to make that easier,' Miller said. The omnichannel campaigns aim to reach shoppers at every touchpoint, according to Instacart. Instacart has grown the presence of its Caper Carts across the U.S. grocery marketplace over the last few years, and the carts are now at grocery retail locations in more than 60 cities, such as Aldi, Kroger, Schnucks, and Wakefern. Meanwhile, Instacart continued the growth of its retail partnerships, announcing on Tuesday that West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee, along with its 300-plus grocery stores, will begin using Instacart's Carrot Ads. This gives Hy-Vee access to Instacart's consumer packaged goods (CPG) advertising platform, enabling advertisers to extend their campaigns on Instacart to Hy-Vee's ecommerce platform. Instacart noted that more than 220 retail banners now drive their retail media business via Carrot Ads. DoorDash also announced on Tuesday that it has further diversified its grocery retail ad capabilities through its DoubleDash service. DoubleDash encourages user to add items to their original order from multiple stores with no additional fee or order minimum. Its new ad format, Banner, offers a new touchpoint for advertisers to reach customers after they've checked out by encouraging additional add-on purchases, the company said. 'The categories currently available for Banner on DoubleDash are highly adjacent to restaurant orders, such as Drinks, Alcohol, Sweets, Snacks, and Pantry, with more coming later this year,' the delivery tech company said. Instacart noted that brands like Ben & Jerry's, Red Bull, Pepsi, and Mondelēz have seen sales lifts for their brands through its Sponsored Products function on DoubleDash. 'With an opportunity to complement their experience with more selection—from coffee to a late night snack, or even allergy medicine—DoubleDash is the most affordable and convenient way for consumers to order from multiple stores in one DoorDash order,' said Toby Espinosa, VP of Ads at DoorDash, in a statement. DoorDash also issued a press release on Tuesday touting its growth in grocery and retail delivery. The delivery service said its Valentine's Day wine sales grew by 95% year over year, and in 2024, one out of every four DoorDash users placed a non-restaurant order from a grocery, retail, alcohol, or convenience store. Sign in to access your portfolio
