Why do bookshops and sellers need insurance?
Customer trips on a bookshop ladder
You’ve just received a batch of brand-new stock and you’re working on putting everything in its rightful place on your shelves. Of course, you need to bring out your ladder to reach the very top. Unfortunately, a customer trips over the ladder and falls, resulting in a broken wrist. Accidents happen, but the customer decides to claim for their injury. In this case, public liability insurance could help to cover the compensation costs and legal fees.
Flood in your storeroom
It’s coming up to the festive season, which means your storeroom is filled with extra stock. Of course, with the winter weather comes a lot of rain and, after one particularly bad night, you come to work to find your storeroom flooded. Your books are ruined and they couldn’t possibly be put on the shelves. This is where business contents insurance could help. This policy can cover the costs for replacing any damaged stock, so you’re ready to resume trading.
Shop assistant injury
One of your booksellers was restocking the shop when a bookshelf toppled over and hit them, causing concussion. They’re fine, but they do decide to claim for their injury. Employers’ liability insurance can cover you for any legal fees and compensation you might face as a result. In most cases, having this cover is a legal requirement for businesses (external link)in the UK.
What insurance is available for bookshops?
Public liability insurance
If you own a bookshop business, public liability insurance may help cover you in the event a member of the public takes out a claim against you for injury, illness, or property damage. It could cover you in the event a customer injures themselves in your shop and claims compensation. For example, a customer may slip on a fallen book, causing a sprained ankle that leads them to need time off work.
Business contents insurance
For booksellers, business contents insurance provides reassurance should you need to replace or repair stolen or damaged stock or shop contents. Books are both easily water damaged and flammable, so your stock could be at risk if there’s a flood or fire. Or, you may have ordered a new in-demand title, and find a few copies are stolen. In either scenario, business contents insurance could help you pay to replace your stock.
Employers’ liability insurance
Employers’ liability insurance can be a legal requirement if you employ staff. Even if you run a relatively small bookshop, this insurance could cover the cost of claims made against you by your employees as a result of injury or illness. For example, one of your booksellers may fall from a ladder while stocking shelves, or your shop could be found to have a mould problem, causing respiratory issues for one of your employees. This type of insurance can be compulsory in the UK, so it may be a good idea to check whether you need it by law (external link).
Some booksellers also opt to add covers such as portable equipment insurance or cyber insurance to their business policy. If you own your shop building, commercial buildings insurance can prove useful.
We can help you to build a tailored cover package for your bookshop business
Build my coverInsurance for bookshops and sellers: FAQs
How much does bookshop business insurance cost?
The price of bookshop business insurance depends on a few factors, including which covers you want to include in your policy and the size of your business. Because of this, often the price you pay will be tailored especially to the insurance policy you build. We will give you a quote before you sign up for your policy, which can start from around £8.40 per month*.
*Figures based on an average of all business insurance policies sold to at least 10% of our customer base between January 2023 and January 2024
Are my books covered for theft and damage?
If you add the relevant cover to your bookshop business insurance policy, then yes. At Hiscox, you can tailor your cover to suit your needs. So, if you add business contents insurance to your policy, the cost to replace or repair your books in the event of theft or damage can be covered.
There are also other insurance options, such as portable equipment insurance, which covers theft and damage to items such as laptops while you’re out and about.
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