The contents of a business premise are crucial to most businesses whether that is your stock or equipment, it is essential in keeping your business running. Therefore, protecting the contents of your premises and business belongings both on-site and away must be a priority for most businesses.
When the worse happens contents insurance will help you get your business back up and running again in the event of loss or damage. We have explored what some of the leading business insurance providers can offer below.
The table below gives a quick price comparison of the top UK providers for business contents insurance.
| Company | Minimum cover | Maximum cover |
|---|---|---|
| Aviva | Not stated | Not stated |
| RSA | Not stated | £2.5 million |
| AXA | Not stated | Not stated |
| Direct Line for Business | Not stated | Not stated |
| Zurich | Not stated | Not stated |
| Allianz | Not stated | £2.5 million per location |
| NFU Mutual | Not stated | Not stated |
| Lloyds Banking Group | Not stated | Not stated |
| Liberty Mutual | Not stated | Not stated |
| Hiscox | Not stated | Not stated |
| Markel direct | Not stated | Not stated |
| Travelers | Not stated | Not stated |
| NIG | Not stated | £5 million |
| ARO Insurance | Not stated | £250,000 |
* The facts and figures included here come from each company’s website and were accurate at the time of writing but may have since changed. Also, please keep in mind these may not be apples to apples comparisons as each provider offers different solutions. This guide should be used as a starting off point for more research on your part.
Below we profile each of the companies’ services and features in a bit more detail.
Note companies are ranked in no particular order and this no way indicates one solution is better than another.
Topics
1. Aviva
Some of the features and benefits of Aviva’s business contents insurance.
- Building and contents insurance
- You choose what you cover
- Choice of cover level
- Cover furnishings, fixtures and fittings
- Trade stock and promotional merchandise
- Glass cover
- Electronic equipment cover can be added
- Covers at home cover
- Includes personal items for employees and visitors
- Cover for window contents
Aviva offers a wide range of business insurance products that can protect businesses from risks and damage, which includes building and contents insurance. They provide cover that enables businesses to build their own policy covering only what they need.
Aviva’s contents insurance allows businesses to combine cover into a single policy or as a standalone product. You can also add electronic equipment insurance as well. Their contents insurance can include protection from home if you or your employees work from home. It can cover personal belongings for both employees and visitors, replacement of broken glass, damaged content in window displays, protection for trade stock and promotional merchandise.
2. RSA
Some of the features and benefits of RSA’s business contents insurance.
- Offered as part of many of their combined products
- Tailored products
- Sector-specific cover
- Cover for professions, offices, pubs, restaurants, hotels and shops
- Stock including seasonal increases
- Personal belongings
- Damage resulting from leakage from drinks
- Computer equipment
- Working from home cover
- Hotel guest personal belongings up to £2,500 per guest
RSA is an insurance provider that offers business insurance through a network of brokers. They offer a range of combined insurance products that are tailored to meet the needs of specific businesses and cover can include business contents insurance, such as Business Combined, Commercial Combined, Office, Professional Insured Select, Pubs, Restaurants and Hotels, and Shops cover.
RSA’s contents insurance is tailored to the package that it is combined with and offers an appropriate level of cover with a range of additional cover specific to your needs. This can include stock, seasonal stock increases, personal belongings, leakage of drinks, computer equipment and working from home cover.
3. AXA
Some of the features and benefits of AXA’s business contents insurance.
- Tailored business contents insurance
- Standalone product or combine with other products
- Choose your own cover
- Accidental damage cover
- Fixtures and fittings
- 24-hour glass replacement
- Seasonal stock increases
- Personal belongings
- Suited to most businesses including salons, shops, offices and surgeries
- 24-hour emergency helpline
AXA is an insurance provider that offers a range of business insurance products which includes contents insurance that can be purchased as a standalone product or combined with other cover in a single policy.
AXA’s contents insurance allows you to build the cover that you require and suits most business types such as beauty salons, hairdressers, shops, cafes, offices and surgeries. Their contents cover can include stock, seasonal stock increases, tenants’ improvements, shop fronts, high-risk stock, accidental damage, fixtures and fittings, 24-hour glass replacement and personal belongings. They have a 24-hour emergency helpline to handle claims and to help you get your business back up and running.
4. Direct Line for Business
Some of the features and benefits of Direct Line for Business’ business contents insurance.
- Business contents and stock cover
- Can be added to other insurance products
- Stock cover
- Equipment and electronic goods
- Includes named specialist items
- Cover whilst on the go
- Equipment breakdown cover
- Covers natural events, fire and theft
- Guarantee to beat other quotes
- Pay in a lump sum or monthly instalments
Direct Line for Business is an insurance provider that offers a range of business insurance that is tailored to meet the needs of smaller businesses and sole traders. They provide insurance products that cater for the needs of specific professions as combine packages or standalone products. Their product range includes business contents and stock cover which can be added to other products.
Direct Line for Business’ contents and stock cover is designed to help small businesses to keep running by replacing the items damaged or stolen. Their cover includes all contents, stock, equipment and electronic goods. It can cover these items in your premises and whilst on the go.
Direct Line for Business website
5. Zurich
Some of the features and benefits of Zurich’s business contents insurance.
- Offers contents insurance as standard or optional on some products
- Tailor your cover for your needs
- Commercial Combined Insurance
- Shop insurance
- Trades and Professions insurance
- Material damage
- Goods in transit
- Deterioration of stock
- Office and business equipment
- Covers a broad range of businesses
Zurich is an insurance provider that offers a range of tailored business insurance packages and standalone insurance products that are designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of businesses. They offer several packages that include business contents insurance – Commercial Combined, Shop insurance, Trades and Professions insurance.
Zurich’s Commercial Combined insurance and Shop insurance include material damage all risks cover, goods in transit and specified items all risks, in addition, their Shop insurance includes deterioration of stock. Their Trades and Professions insurance offers contents insurance as an optional extra with cover up to £10,000 for office and business equipment and business stock up to £15,000.
6. Allianz
Some of the features and benefits of Allianz’s business contents insurance.
- Offered as part of some of their combined packages
- Tailored insurance cover
- Sector-specific policies
- Products catering for offices, contractors and retailers
- Offers a Complete Business package
- Also has cover for property and flat owners
- Computers
- Stock and trade contents
- Property damage
- Cover up to £2.5 million
Allianz is an insurance provider that offers a variety of business insurance products which includes a range of tailored combined insurance packages that are designed to meet the needs of specific sectors. Their combined packages often include business contents as standard or as an optional extra.
Allianz’s contents insurance is included on the Complete Business, Complete Office, Complete Contractor and Complete Retailer. Complete Business includes property damage such as contents, computers, buildings and stock. Complete Office covers up to £2.5 million per location and Complete Retailer covers up to £750,000 per location. Complete Contractor offers property damage cover as an optional extra.
7. NFU Mutual
Some of the features and benefits of NFU Mutual’s business contents insurance.
- Offered as part of many combined packages
- Tailored cover
- Available as standard or optional cover
- Commercial Select
- Catering insurance
- Wholesalers and manufacturers insurance
- Retailers insurance
- Surgery insurance
- Office insurance
- Tradesman insurance
NFU Mutual is an insurance provider that is run for the benefit of its members. They offer combined insurance packages for smaller businesses which tailors the cover to the needs of the sector with optional cover.
NFU Mutual’s Commercial Select insurance can include property cover which allows you to protect contents and stock on your premises or away from them. Catering insurance and wholesalers and manufacturers insurance, retailer insurance and surgery insurance include content and stock as standard. Their office insurance includes contents as standard. Tradesman insurance offers contents and stock cover as an additional extra as part of their optional property cover.
8. Lloyds Bank
Some of the features and benefits of Lloyds Bank’s business contents insurance.
- Combined insurance cover
- Building and contents insurance
- Office insurance
- Shop and salon insurance
- Surgery insurance
- Pub, restaurant and café insurance
- Can add computer cover
- Can combine with public liability insurance
- Easy to buy and instant cover available
- Suited to small to large businesses
Lloyds Bank is an insurance provider that offers a range of tailored business insurance packages. Their packages are designed for small to large businesses that operate in certain sectors. These packages offer cover that can be tailored to your needs which includes buildings and contents insurance.
Lloyds Bank’s packages which include contents insurance are Office, Shop and Salon, Surgery, Pub, Restaurant and Café insurance. Each of these packages are tailored to the sector and can be further adjusted to meet your needs through a range of optional extras. They offer insurance that is easy to buy and can provide instant cover.
9. Liberty Mutual
Some of the features and benefits of Liberty Mutual’s business contents insurance.
- Business Owner’s Policy and packages
- Choice of package
- Offers combined insurance solutions
- Includes business property cover which includes contents
- Covers computer equipment and inventory
- Helps businesses to replace damaged or lost property or goods
- Also includes general liability insurance
- Complete protection package
- Suited to small to medium-sized businesses
- Available only through an independent agent or broker
Liberty Mutual is an insurance underwriter that provides insurance products through independent agents and brokers. They offer a variety of business insurance products that give businesses protection against risks and liabilities which are designed as combined packages tailored to specific sectors which include their Business Owner’s Policy which includes contents cover.
Liberty Mutual’s Business Owner’s Policy and Commercial Package offers combined insurance for property and general liability. This property cover includes computer equipment and inventory through to storefront signage. Through their combined cover, they are offering comprehensive protection to small to medium-sized businesses.
10. Hiscox
Some of the features and benefits of Hiscox’s business contents insurance.
- Office contents insurance
- Retail and shop insurance
- Suitable for businesses with offices or those that work from home
- Protects business equipment, furniture, fixtures and documents
- Covers theft, fire and water damage
- Includes possessions that are temporarily away from the office
- Offers broader cover than most including non-standard items
- Personal belongings
- Accidental damage
- Loss of data
Hiscox is an insurance provider that offers a range of business insurance products as standalone products and combined packages which can be tailored to meet your business needs. They do not offer standalone contents cover for businesses but do offer office contents insurance which is also part of their retail and shop insurance.
Hiscox’s office contents insurance includes theft, accident damage, cover for possessions away from the office, personal property and loss of data. Their retail and shop insurance include loss or damage to your contents which includes stock, fixtures and fittings, theft from your premises, at an employee’s home or in transit.
11. Markel direct
Some of the features and benefits of Markel direct’s business contents insurance.
- Office insurance
- This can form part of many of their insurance packages
- Optional extra
- Covers buildings and contents
- Accidental damage
- Theft
- Natural disasters
- Business equipment
- Coverage at your premises and away
- Also offers business interruption insurance
Markel direct is an insurance provider that specialises in insurance for smaller businesses in a wide variety of trades and professions. They offer tailored packages of insurance that cater for specific business types which are made up of various insurance products to create complete cover. Each package is tailorable and where appropriate they offer office insurance which covers building and contents.
Markel direct’s office insurance is designed as additional cover for your building and contents which includes accidental damage, theft, fire, flood, explosion or storm damage. It provides cover for your business equipment and belongings both at your premises and away.
12. Travelers
Some of the features and benefits of Travelers’ business contents insurance.
- Property contents insurance
- Tailored policy
- Covers theft, fire, flood and accidental damage
- Suitable for home-based businesses
- Business equipment
- Portable equipment
- Fixtures and fittings
- Contents whilst in transit
- Documents stored externally
- Breakdown of computer equipment
Travelers is an insurance provider offering a wide range of business insurance products that have been created to meet the needs of specific businesses with tailored cover. They offer both standalone and combined insurance packages that are designed for certain business types. Their product range includes property contents insurance which can be purchased on its own or with other products.
Travelers’ property contents insurance covers theft, fire, flood and accidental damage to your business equipment, fixtures, fittings and any improvements you have made to the premises for your business. They provide cover for equipment and portable items away from the business premises as well as goods in transit.
13. NIG
Some of the features and benefits of NIG’s business contents insurance.
- Included as part of their combined packages or optional extra
- Business Package
- Office & Surgery insurance
- Shop insurance
- Premier Property Owners insurance
- Tailored policies
- A range of cover available up to £5 million
- Contents and stock cover
- Optional accidental damage cover
- Offers an introductory no claims discount to new customers
NIG is an insurance provider that offers a range of specialist business insurance products that are tailored to meet the needs of specific industries and professions with a comprehensive insurance cover that can be adapted to your needs. Their insurance packages can include contents insurance where appropriate.
NIG’s contents insurance is available with several of their insurance packages – Business Package, Office & Surgery, Shop and Premier Property Owners insurance that is either included as standard or an optional extra. You can tailor the cover with a variety of optional extras such as accidental damage. Some policies cover contents and stock and others just contents.
14. ARO Insurance
Some of the features and benefits of ARO Insurance’s business contents insurance.
- Part of their combined packages
- Retail Package
- Office Package
- Designed for small businesses
- Stock
- Fixtures and fittings
- Electronic business equipment
- Cover up to £250,000
- Combined with a range of complementary insurance
- Covers a variety of businesses
ARO is an insurance provider offering tailored insurance packages to small businesses. They offer three business insurance products – Retail, Office and Tradesman insurance. These packages include a variety of tailored insurance which includes contents cover on the Retail and Office Packages.
ARO’s Retail Package is designed for catering, retail, hotel, public houses, hair and beauty businesses and it can offer cover for stock, contents, fixtures and fittings. Their Office Package is designed for businesses with up to 10 employees and a maximum of 5 locations with a turnover under £500,000. This insurance package covers contents, fixtures and fittings up to £250,000, and electronic business machines up to £10,000.
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