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Funeral services group Dignity swung to a first-half profit as easing pandemic restrictions boosted funeral attendance offsetting lower volumes amid a decline in Covid-related deaths.
For the 26 week period ended 25 June 2021, pre-tax profit was £50.5 million, compared with a loss of £12.1 million year-on-year, while revenue fell 4% to £189.0 million.
'As restrictions eased on funeral attendance our average revenue per funeral increased from £2,461 in the first half of 2020 to £2,628 for the first half of 2021,' the company said.
'That higher revenue per funeral was on fewer funerals; we conducted 41,400 in the first half of 2021, down from 46,000 in the first half of 2020,' it added.
'In the 2019 comparative period, which had no pandemic effect, we conducted 36,200 funerals.'
The death rate in the first quarter was 22% above the five year average (2015-2019) which reduced to four% below the five year average in the second quarter.