Shop insurance
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Rated 4.7/5
Based on 39,253 reviews
Claims paid in 24 hours
For 80% of settled claims
Why do you need shop insurance?
From locking up at night to taking your business online, shops face a unique set of risks. It sounds unlikely, but accidents hit hundreds of businesses every day, and the average shop public liability claim can cost thousands. Our cover works hard to protect the business you’ve built, letting you focus on the products, not the what-ifs.
- shop liability insurance including cover for the public and your products
- quotes start at £6.77* a month based on 2021 data
- claims paid in 24 hours for 80% of settled claims
What does commercial shop insurance cover?
Your shop insurance quote usually starts with public and product liability (built to cover damage and injuries), plus employers’ liability for team members. It’s a legal requirement for most UK employers. We can add contents cover in too – a priority for lots of our shop customers – and other commercial insurance options.
Shop public liability insurance
In case your shop and products cause an injury or property damage.
Employers’ liability insurance
In case anyone gets ill or injured while working for your retail business.
Building insurance
In case something happens to your shop premises.
Shop contents insurance
In case something happens to your shop’s fixtures and fittings or operational equipment.
Stock insurance
In case something happens to your shop’s stored items.
Legal expenses insurance
In case you’re hit with legal expenses connected to your shop.
Personal accident insurance
In case anyone you’ve covered is accidentally injured, at work or off-duty.
Shop public liability insurance
In case your shop and products cause an injury or property damage.
What’s typically covered by public liability insurance?
Claims against your business for:
- damage to someone’s property, because of your shop
- an injury or illness caused by your business activities or products
- accidental damage or injuries caused by your employees
For example:
- while leaving your premises, a customer falls down some steps and fractures their hip – they need hospital treatment and time off work
- you spill oil on the shop floor and a customer slips, hitting their head and suffering concussion
What you’ll need additional cover for
- road accidents – we can cover incidents related to food delivery like theft, damage, slips, and trips, but you’d need specific insurance for accidents involving a vehicle
- if you do employ anyone, you’re usually required by law to have employers’ liability insurance too.
Read more about public liability insurance
Employers’ liability insurance
In case anyone gets ill or injured while working for your retail business.
What’s typically covered by employers’ liability insurance?
Claims against your business for:
- an injury or illness that happens as a result of working for you (including temps and casual workers)
**Employers’ liability insurance is required by law if you have people working for you. Without it, you could be fined up to £2,500 a day for each employee.**
For example:
- while stacking shelves, your Christmas temp knocks a bottle onto the floor which smashes and cuts their foot – they need stitches and a few weeks off work
- your employee trips while carrying a large box to the storage room, fracturing their wrist and cutting their leg. They need a skin graft and time off work for recovery
Building insurance
In case something happens to your shop premises.
What’s typically covered by building insurance?
- the cost of repairing damage to the structure of your building (or rebuilding it from scratch)
- damage to fixtures and fittings
- damage to underground pipes and cables you’re responsible for
For example:
- your shop door and frames are badly damaged during an attempted break-in, and need to be repaired or replaced
- a burst pipe causes water damage to your floorboards, internal doors, and walls, which all need to be replaced
What you’ll need additional cover for
- tenants’ improvements – changes to the property’s structure which you’ve organised and paid for yourself, like partition walls or wooden flooring
Read more about buildings insurance
Shop contents insurance
In case something happens to your shop’s fixtures and fittings or operational equipment.
What’s typically covered by business and office equipment insurance?
- accidental damage to your shop’s fixtures and fittings, or the equipment you use to run the business
- theft, flood, and fire damage
For example:
- your till and tablet are stolen during a break-in
- an employee is moving a display cabinet across the shop and it collapses, causing significant damage
Read more about contents insurance
Stock insurance
In case something happens to your shop’s stored items.
What’s typically covered by stock insurance?
- loss, damage, or theft of things like prepared food items, sellable products, and other materials you use to stock your shop
For example:
- a flood damages all the stock you keep at low and floor level
- someone breaks into your shop and damages your new summer stock order
Read more about stock insurance
Legal expenses insurance
In case you’re hit with legal expenses connected to your shop.
What’s typically covered by legal expenses insurance?
- legal costs attributed to your shop or retail business
- property damage, nuisance, or trespass – specifically, the associated legal claims and compensation payouts
- tax and compliance disputes and investigations you need help with
- includes a tax advice helpline, a 24/7 confidential legal helpline, and crisis PR support to help you protect your reputation as a popular shop or retailer
For example:
- you get into a dispute with a supplier over your stock order, and need to pay legal costs
- a contractor refits your shop, but there are multiple issues with their work – you need to delay reopening and pay legal costs while suing the company
Read more about legal expenses insurance
Personal accident insurance
In case anyone you’ve covered is accidentally injured, at work or off-duty.
What’s typically covered by personal accident insurance?
- accidental injury or death at work or elsewhere, for anyone covered on the policy
- lost income, medical costs, and hospitalisation benefit
For example:
- you drop a heavy item of stock on your foot, breaking three toes and causing bad bruising
- your business partner breaks their leg while playing football, and needs time away from active work
Read more about personal accident insurance
Making sure you have the right type and level of business insurance can be the difference between getting a claim paid and having to cover the cost of an expensive accident yourself. Always check policy documentation for details. Read our full Terms and Conditions
How much does shop insurance cost?
Find out how much you’ll pay by comparing prices from a range of trusted insurers. You choose what goes into your policy, so you only pay for what you need.
Prices start from £6.77 per month
Get your quotes in 7 minutes – prices are guaranteed for 30 days.
Get your tailored quotes in 7 minutes
How we work out example prices We take the highest price from the bottom 10 per cent of all our customers paying in monthly instalments (based on data from 1 Jan 2021 - 31st August 2021). Most customers pay more than this but some pay less.
Example shop insurance quotes, real prices
£42.37 /month
£376.6 /month
A small high street clothing shop (not online)
- 1-2 years' experience
- 1 employee
- Based in Leicester
Public liability
£2,000,000
Employers’ liability
£10,000,000
Stock
£5,000
£50.32 /month
£447.3 /month
A medium-sized family-run discount store, also selling stock online
- 5+ years' experience
- Limited company
- 3 employees
- Based in EH11 2AY
Public liability
£5,000,000
Employers’ liability
£10,000,000
Contents & business equipment
£10,000
Stock
£20,000
How we work out example quotes These examples are real quotes from our online system (created 16/04/2021). They’re based on a range of factors, like employees and location. Your own quote will be based on what you tell us about your business. Prices may go up or down from day to day, so the prices you’re quoted may differ to the ones you see here.
What kind of excess should I expect?
An excess is an amount you pay towards any claim you make on your insurance. For example, if your excess is £250 and you make a claim worth £1000, your payout will be a maximum of £750.
| Insurance cover | Lowest excess | Highest excess |
|---|---|---|
| Main building | £200 | £4000 |
| Stock | £200 | £4000 |
| Contents | £200 | £4000 |
| Employers liability | No excess | No excess |
| Public liability | No excess | £750 |
| Product liability | No excess | No excess |
The figures above are for guidance only and any excess applying to your quote may differ. You’ll get a breakdown of the excesses for each quote when you compare with us.
How it works
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Only pay for what you need
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We handle claims, so you can get on with business
How do I choose insurance?
Making sure you have the right type and level of business insurance can be the difference between getting a claim paid and having to cover the cost of an expensive accident yourself. Read our tips for guidance on what to consider when buying a policy.
Can I just cover my most expensive tools?
Which type of workers do I need insurance for?
Will tools insurance cover all my equipment?
Does shop insurance cover my work correctly?
Do I need cover for other types of work?
Which public liability cover limit should I choose?
Can I just cover my most expensive tools?
Make sure you cover the total cost of replacing all your tools or you’ll only get a proportion of your claim paid out if something happens to them. Learn about tool cover.
Which type of workers do I need insurance for?
Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ people.
If you have people working for you, including bona fide subcontractors (BFSC), labour-only subcontractors (LOSC), part-timers, or full-time staff, employers’ liability insurance is required by law.
Read on for our simplified guide to the difference between labour-only subcontractors and bona fide subcontractors.
Will tools insurance cover all my equipment?
Depending on what you use to do your work, you may need other covers.
You may need more than tools insurance – for example, business equipment insurance if you have a work laptop, plant insurance if you use machinery.
Does shop insurance cover my work correctly?
Make sure you're picking the right cover to protect you properly. It's important to know that if you have another trade or job, you'll need additional cover. For example, do you need to consider online retailer insurance or off licence insurance?
Do I need cover for other types of work?
If you provide these services alongside building work, make sure you’re covered:
Other types of insurance
Which public liability cover limit should I choose?
Think about the maximum possible loss your business could face in the event of a claim, and make sure you take legal fees and damages into consideration. You can choose from three levels of coverage – £1 million, £2 million, or up to £5 million.
Talk to an expert
Our team of UK-based insurance experts are here to help, Mon 09.00am - 05.30pm, Tues 09.00am - 05.30pm, Weds 09.00am - 05.30pm, Thurs 09.30am - 05.30pm, Fri 09.00am - 05.30pm, Sat 09.00am - 02.00pm
Call our team
How do claims work?
Unlike price comparison websites, we take the hassle out of claims for you. We know how important it is to get your business back on track quickly – and with a minimum of fuss. That’s why you get access to your dedicated claims any time, day or night. Call them on 0333 207 0560 or claim online. They’ll do their best to be fair and supportive. The figure below is rounded across our range of products. Our claims process may vary for different products and operates on a ‘claim by claim’ basis.
£30 million in claims paid out in 2019
Paying 80% of settled claims within 24 hours in 2019
Example claim
Having shop insurance through Simply Business has saved UK businesses thousands of pounds when the unexpected happened.
Maurice saved more than £12,200
An electrical fire at Maurice’s (not his real name) shop premises broke out overnight, damaging his Christmas stock, expensive equipment, and decor. The stock, building and contents cover in his shop insurance policy covered Maurice’s replacement costs and lost income.
Insurance payout
£12,268.95
Covering the cost of fire damage
Maurice’s costs
£100
The excess amount stated in Maurice’s policy terms
Chosen by 800,000 small businesses
We started out as a team of five back in 2005. We’ve grown since then with 600,000 customers across 1,500 trades now trusting us to provide their business insurance.
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Rated 4.7/5
Based on 39,253 reviews
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Shop insurance FAQs
Whether you’re new to buying business insurance or you’ve been trading for a while, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about shop public liability insurance, plus other popular covers. You can also check out our business insurance FAQs.
Public and product liability insurance is often an important cover for shops – it’s designed to protect you if someone is injured or suffers an illness, or their property is damaged, because of your retail business.
Are you hiring staff? If so, you’re usually required by law to take out employer’s liability insurance, even if it’s for a temporary team member, or seasonal staff. You’ll face fines of up to £2,500 a day for anyone you haven’t covered correctly.
From there, you can pick and choose from other specific protection for your shop’s stock, equipment, fixtures and fittings, and the building(s) you use. Our shop insurance quotes are flexible – you can bundle everything into one policy or go for just one or two covers, depending on what you need.
Yes. It’s important to make sure you have the right type and level of insurance for the different types of work you do. For example, if you’re a food and drink retailer, you may also do the odd catering job – you’ll need additional cover for this, but you can have it all on the one policy. If you need to add a second trade, give us a call on 0333 0146 683 and one of our insurance experts will help you set up your policy in minutes.
Each insurer looks at CCJs and IVAs differently – some apply stricter rules than others, but having a CCJ or IVA doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to buy insurance.
You can choose the payment type that suits your business and cash flow best. Some customers prefer to pay in one go, while others prefer to pay a regular monthly amount, like you do with lots of other bills. Simply Business offer three ways to pay for your policy:
- one-off credit or debit card payment
- BACS payment
- Direct Debit
If you choose to pay by Direct Debit, our credit provider, Premium Credit, pays Simply Business the full amount for your policy up front. You then repay Premium Credit in 10 monthly instalments.
This will depend on whether you have employers’ liability insurance in place. Public liability insurance is designed to protect your business against the consequences of legal action brought by members of the public for injuries or damage to their belongings. But when it comes to your employees causing injury or damage, this protection only activates if you also have employers’ liability insurance.
If you employ people, you’re required by law to have employers’ liability insurance.
There’s one exception here. Family businesses that aren’t incorporated as a limited company are not legally required to have employers’ liability insurance. The government defines a “family business” as one where all your employees are closely related to you (as a spouse, civil partner, sibling, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, step-parent, stepchild or half-sibling). So if you run an unincorporated family business and you choose not to get employers’ liability insurance, it’s important to know that your public liability insurance wouldn’t cover you against damage or injury caused by your team.
We create this content for general information purposes and it should not be taken as advice. Always check policy documentation for details and seek professional advice. Read our full Terms and Conditions
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