Small Business Insurance for Retail Stores
Protect what you have built with your hard work
You're the "how can I help you" heart of the community you serve. Your title may be "founder," "owner" or "CEO," but you're also the one-person accounting department, marketing team, purchasing division and tech support. The success of your retail business demands you work 80 hours a week to manage it all. We can help you protect it.
Who is small retail business insurance right for?
Travelers offers insurance to protect small business stores that sell goods to the general public, including:
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Appliances
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Art supplies
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Auto parts
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Baked goods
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Clothing and accessories
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Computers and electronics
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Furniture
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Gifts and novelties
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Hardware
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Home and garden
Retail business owner's policy
Every program for retailers starts with our core Travelers BOP (business owner's policy). It combines property insurance with liability insurance to protect you if someone threatens to sue.
Travelers BOP includes:
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Property
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General liability
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Business income/extra expense
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Computer equipment, data and media
Why choose retail store insurance for small businesses
Your products are the star of the show, and your focus on customers keeps you busy every day. Take the time to get the right coverage for your retail business, and you can keep growing your sales.
While any small business needs to plan for the unexpected burst pipe, fire or lightning storm, retail businesses also face other risks, from data breaches to derailed shipments. Here are just a few of the ways the day can suddenly go sideways for a retail business:
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You're counting on a big shipment to arrive so you can fulfill a slew of client orders for the holidays. Then you find out a fire has broken out at the supplier warehouse, and your merchandise won't arrive until spring.
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An electrical storm hits in the middle of the night, frying your point-of-sale and order systems. You're unable to take or fulfill orders for the next few days, and your profits take a nosedive while you replace the damaged equipment and get your business back up to speed.
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Your displays are looking a little bare even though new shipments just arrived. You review security camera footage and discover that a salesperson has been using an oversized handbag to pilfer merchandise almost daily.
Choosing a small business retail insurance policy
Your retail business is as unique as your products, so how do you decide what coverage to get? Start with the basics and take inventory of your needs. Here are some tips to help you choose the right coverage for your retail business:
Consider a business owner's policy (BOP).
A retail store needs a business owner's policy that covers general liability and property, including the store, its contents, which includes stock on or away from premises, and loss of income. A retailer also should consider coverage for data breaches, employee dishonesty, employment practices liability, and perishable goods, if applicable.
Add-on coverage to fit your business risks.
Retailers know there's no such thing as one size fits all, so coverage should be tailored to fit your specific business. For example, Travelers offers Power PacSM, and Power Pac PremierSM. And, for select risks, Restaurant and Perishable Goods Premier offers additional features and increased limits, including spoilage coverage for perishable goods.
Plan for a data breach.
Even retail giants fall victim to cybercriminals intent on accessing customers' personal data. If it can happen to them, it may happen to your business. So it's smart to get cyber liability insurance to help protect you from the costs of a breach and to help you take the necessary steps to restore your customers' trust. For example, Travelers offers CyberRisk®, to help defend against failure to prevent unauthorized access to, or use of, customer identity information.
Protect yourself as an employer.
You can't run the business, answer the phones and complete transactions by yourself. It helps to have employees to lighten the workload, but this exposes you to potential claims of wrongful employment practices. One example of this coverage, Travelers Employment Practices Liability+SM (EPL+), defends you from claims alleging wrongful employment practices, such as discrimination or wrongful termination.
Protect your employees with workers compensation.
If you have employees, or temporary workers you bring on during holiday season, you may be required to provide workers compensation coverage. Even if it's not required, it's worth considering as a way to help protect you and your employees.
Cover yourself around the world.
As a retail shop owner, you may need coverage when you travel, whether for a buying trip or a visit to a manufacturing facility. For example, Travelers offers World Business Essentials®, which can cover you during periodic overseas travel.
From florists to furniture stores, many retailers rely on a vehicle or small fleet to get their products to customers. If your wheels power your business, you'll need to add commercial auto coverage. If your business owns vehicles, a commercial auto insurance policy can provide valuable financial protection to you and your employees while driving a company-owned vehicle.
An umbrella policy is a good idea for retailers, who face multiple types of liability. Umbrella insurance provides an additional layer of financial protection over and above the coverage limits of your other liability policies. For example, Travelers offers an umbrella policy with up to $25 million in additional liability coverage to cover the costs of a covered loss.
Would you like to discuss the specific needs of your retail business? Consult with an agent, who can help you customize coverage so you can get back to focusing on getting your products into the hands of your customers.
A business owner’s policy (BOP) is a basic essential.
Consider a business owner's policy (BOP). A BOP can protect the things you need to stay in business and keep making sales. A BOP typically covers:
When you own a retail business, your property is priceless. A BOP can cover your premises, from your retail space to your warehouse, as well as the contents, from displays to products. You'll want to make sure your BOP covers goods that are off premises as well, including goods in transit and merchandise being shipped to customers.
Retailers need general liability insurance for key exposures such as products liability, premises liability, and personal and advertising injury liability. General liability coverage helps shield your business from covered claims and lawsuits that stem from your everyday business operations.
As a retailer, you could be affected by a disaster that strikes your store, your warehouse or a major supplier. Ensure your BOP includes this important coverage, which protects your business when it is shut down temporarily due to a fire or other covered loss. BIEE coverage can help replace your income and expenses like rent, payroll and other financial responsibilities while your property is being repaired or replaced.
Employee dishonesty/theft
As a retailer, you need to shield your business from theft of money, property or inventory by employees. Employee dishonesty coverage is included in the BOP offered by Travelers.
Not a small business?
Travelers offers insurance solutions to help you protect and grow your larger retail business.
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