Shops that Hiscox covers
Pet shops
Your pet shop might sell furry friends, fish, or reptilian companions – plus the products they need to stay happy and healthy. This type of environment can come with risks for customers and employees, so liability insurance may come in handy for pet retail businesses. Contents insurance could also help financially if a fire, flood, or act of theft damages your stock of reptile lamps, for example.
Florists
Even working as a florist isn’t always sunshine and daisies. If a customer slips on spilt flower food and chips their tooth, they might try to claim under your public liability insurance for damages if the wet floor wasn’t correctly signposted. Building employers’ liability into your shop insurance can help if the injured party is a member of staff.
Online retailers
Online shops may not welcome face-to-face customers, but they still interact with couriers, suppliers, and designers – so public liability insurance may be relevant. Incorporating cyber and data cover into your retail insurance can also help put things right after exposure to digital risks - from phishing attacks that might bring down your online store to data breaches.
Grocers
Stock is everything to a grocer, so insurance for the contents inside your shop could be beneficial if an unexpected event – such as a fire – was to ruin your fruit and veg. Grocers might also tailor their retail insurance to include cover for owned premises, and, if a customer slips on a banana skin, public liability might offer protection.
Butchers
A butcher shop is a place where the community comes together, which can bring risks as well as sales. Tailoring cover to include public liability insurance may help if someone is injured on site. Contents and equipment breakdown insurance may also help to safeguard your butcher shop against the cost of replacing key equipment.
Food businesses
Supplying food comes with a specific set of risks – whether you distribute easy meal kits or freshly baked cookies. Tailored retail insurance, built to include product liability cover, could help your food business if someone takes legal action over food poisoning or an allergic reaction.
Opticians
An optician’s work spans more than just eye check-ups – online booking systems could leave this type of retail business vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Including cyber and data cover in your shop insurance can offer financial and practical support, while product liability insurance may help if something you sell causes harm.
Garden centres
A garden centre or nursery can be big or small – either way, theft or a storm could impact your stock, and accidents could strike out of the blue. Tailored insurance can help you run your garden centre with confidence and peace of mind.
Cabinet makers
When your workshop is also a retail space, there may be risks to the public – and, as a business owner, you can be held liable for them. A cabinet maker might choose to add public liability cover to a shop insurance policy, plus equipment breakdown insurance for electrical tools.
Jewellery designers
Designing and selling jewellery is an art – when you also sell these goods, business insurance can help counter key retail risks. This might include possible accidents at markets or in your own retail space or the possibility that your carefully crafted necklaces could cause cuts or an allergic reaction.
Travel agents
A travel agent shop is an upbeat environment – few things put smiles on faces like planning a getaway – but risks are present too. Public liability insurance could step in if a visitor becomes injured on your premises, while commercial property cover for buildings insures the bricks and mortar.
Record shops
If the vinyl revival has customers flocking to your record shop, it's time to manage potential risks. The right insurance policy can help to deal with stock damage and fallout from public injuries.
Bookshops
Books are precious items that can educate and entertain. But they're also easily damaged. Tailored insurance could offer peace of mind if a flood or customer mishap leaves your bookshop in jeopardy.
Candle shops
As a candle shop owner, your goal is to make customers' homes look great. But an accident or defective product could cause the opposite to happen. The right insurance can help shield your store.
Musical instrument shops
Musical instruments can be rare and sensitive. So what would happen if a customer mishandled a violin or flood water damaged expensive guitars? Insurance can help safeguard you against these and other dangers.
Toy shops
Your toy shop offers entertainment with the latest games, dolls and action figures. But a break-in, accident or faulty product could leave you vulnerable. Insurance provides a safety net should the worst happen.
Arts and crafts shops
Your arts and crafts shop is all about creativity. But that doesn't make you immune to danger. Public liability insurance can help to protect you against injury claims, while products liability cover can support with issues around faulty goods.
Key types of insurance for shops
Shop insurance from Hiscox is tailored to your niche, so the exact covers available will vary depending on the type of retail business you run. Get a quote or contact us to find out what’s available to you.
Public liability insurance
Public liability insurance provides cover for shops of several kinds – including high-street stores and online retailers – against the risk that your activities might harm a third party. This could also apply to a customer or their property, for example if someone trips on your shop sign and sues for compensation.
Commercial property insurance
Commercial property insurance for buildings covers the premises itself – if you own this, it provides valuable protection against the impact of damage from fire, flood, and storms. If strong winds cause damage to your shop’s display window, or a burst pipe floods your storeroom, this cover may help with costs.
Business contents insurance
Contents insurance can cover a retail business for items stored inside, including stock and equipment. It helps to pay for repairs and replacements if your storeroom is targeted by thieves, or a fire damages the server where key customer data is stored.
Employers’ liability insurance
Every employer could be liable if a staff member is injured at work, or if they become ill due to the tasks they perform. Tailoring shop insurance to include employers’ liability cover could help your business to compensate staff in such situations. It’s a legal requirement for many UK businesses.
Cyber and data insurance
Cyber and data insurance helps protect a retail business’s digital infrastructure, including email accounts, databases, e-Commerce sites, and payment channels. If a cyber-attack compromises your systems, or there’s an accidental breach of customer data, this cover could pay for restoration work.
Personal accident insurance
Running a small shop puts responsibility on your shoulders. Personal accident insurance could help if you, or any employee, are unable to work due to an injury. Adding this cover to your retail insurance policy provides a safety net if you’re injured for more than two weeks.
Legal protection insurance
There could be times when your retail business seeks to pursue or defend legal issues. You might seek out an eviction order after trespassing problems or need to defend yourself at a tribunal. Adding legal protection cover to your insurance policy could help pay for legal fees and compensation awards.
Equipment insurance
If your shop relies on electrical or mechanical equipment, such as tills, you might choose to add cover for breakdown events. Also available is portable equipment cover for items such as laptops and tools – useful if you also carry out work away from your own premises.
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