Shop insurance

Public liability insurance

In case your shop and products cause an injury or property damage.

What’s typically covered by shop 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

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 other services, make sure you’re covered:

• Book shop insurance
• Clothes shop insurance
• Coffee shop insurance
• Cycle shop insurance
• Cycle shop insurance
• Fashion shop insurance
• Fish and chip shop insurance
• Florist shop insurance
• Franchise shop insurance
• Green grocers insurance
• Grocers’ insurance
• Launderette insurance
• Music shop insurance
• Newsagents’ insurance
• Optician insurance
• Pet shop insurance
• Shoe shop insurance
• Supermarket insurance
• More retail insurance

Other types of insurance

• Limited company insurance
• Self-employed insurance
• Freelance insurance
• Consultant insurance
• Contractors insurance
• Sole trader insurance
• Warehouse insurance
• Factory insurance
• Wholesale insurance
• Manufacturing 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.