Retail Industry Insurance

Get reliable retail insurance coverage tailored for your needs by BrokerLink.

Whether you own one shop or a chain of locations, BrokerLink can tailor a retail insurance policy for your unique needs. Our brokers have years of experience and work closely with Canada's top insurance companies to get the right coverage for you.

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BrokerLink compares rates from a wide range of providers, ensuring you get the best deals available.

What is retail insurance?

No matter how prepared you are, sometimes the unexpected happens. That’s where insurance comes in. Retail insurance helps protect owners from financial losses. Every business faces risks such as property damage, injuries, and lawsuits. These unexpected issues can disrupt projects, affect schedules and harm your reputation. At BrokerLink, our insurance experts have extensive experience in the retail industry. They’ll take the time to get to know you and determine the coverage you need, so you can focus on running your business with confidence and peace of mind.

Retail insurance can cover:

Damage to the property and inventory from events like fires, storms or other extreme weather.
Legal action if a customer or employee is hurt while in the store.
Losses from theft or vandalism.
Lost income if the store has to close temporarily due to an insured event.

What is covered varies based on your province's regulations and any additional coverage options you choose for your policy.

Who we help

Running a business is hard work, but BrokerLink simplifies insurance, letting you focus on your business with coverage tailored for any size or industry. Secure your business with us today.

Retail businesses of all types need some form of insurance, including:

E-commerce
Book stores
Wholesalers
Pop-up shops
Clothing store
Hardware store
Groceries store
Electronic store
Online retailers
Retail franchises
Seasonal businesses
Physical retail locations

Why do you need retail insurance?

Insurance is crucial because it helps protect you financially if the unexpected happens. Without the right coverage, the cost of damage or an unforseen lawsuit could lead to significant financial strain or even closure. Insurance provides peace of mind by helping businesses recover from unforeseen incidents.

Coverages

Retail businesses face various risks, so there are many types of coverage available.

What does retail insurance cover?

Your insurance broker will help you figure out what suits your business best. Having the right insurance isn’t just for safety—it's a strategic tool that lets retail businesses operate with confidence. Your policy can be tailored to include:

Recommended

Additional

Covers damage to or loss of physical assets like inventory, equipment, and the building. It helps you fix or replace things if something bad happens. It keeps your business safe from unexpected costs.

Protects against lawsuits or claims related to accidents or injuries that occur on your property (e.g., a customer slipping on a wet floor). It also covers damage you might cause to someone else's property as well as helping with legal fees if someone takes you to court.

Covers you if a product you sell causes harm or injury to a consumer by paying for legal costs if you are sued. It also covers medical expenses for the injured party.

Covers lost income if your business is forced to close temporarily due to a covered event, such as a fire or flood. It can help pay rent and employee wages while your business recovers. It also covers extra expenses, like setting up a temporary location.

Covers employee-related incidents (e.g., work-related injuries), ensuring you're compliant with workplace safety regulations and workers' compensation laws. It helps pay for medical bills and lost wages for injured workers. It also protects your business from lawsuits related to workplace accidents.

Covers data breaches, cyberattacks, and other online threats. It helps pay for legal fees and fines if customer data is stolen. It also covers the cost of notifying affected customers and restoring your systems.

If your retail business uses vehicles for deliveries or other business purposes, this can cover accidents or damage. It helps pay for repairs to your vehicle if it's damaged. It also covers medical costs if someone is hurt in an accident.

Covers repairs or replacement of essential machinery or equipment that breaks down unexpectedly, including freezer units in a grocery store or your POS terminals. It can help get your business back up and running quickly which can save money by avoiding a major disruption to your daily operations.

Specifically covers theft of goods, either from burglary, employee theft, or shoplifting. It helps recover lost money due to stolen items. This insurance can give you peace of mind and financial protection.

Covers you if a product you sell causes harm or injury to a consumer by paying for legal costs if you are sued. It also covers medical expenses for the injured party.

Let us be your resource for all things business insurance

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Why choose BrokerLink for your commercial insurance needs?

Discover what sets BrokerLink apart. Our commitment to personalized service, expert advice, and comprehensive coverage options ensures you get the best protection tailored to your needs.

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Excellent service, rates and customer service. Highly recommended.
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Very easy to do business with this company. They handle all of my past, current and will be doing my future vehicles also. They listen and get you the insurance that you want and need.
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Factors that can affect the cost of retail insurance

Several factors influence the cost of insurance in the retail industry, including:

Business size

Larger stores with more inventory, employees and operations may pay higher premiums.

Location

Your area of operation could result in higher insurance rates based on different factors, e.g. distance to emergency services.

Type of retail

Different types of retail businesses face different types of risk. Your insurer will consider the nature of your business when determining your rate.

Claims history

Your insurer will consider your claims history as they determine your rate. If you have a history of low or no claims, you may have a lower premium.

Coverage limits and deductibles

Higher coverage limits and lower deductibles generally lead to higher premiums.

Security measures

Installing advanced security systems such as cameras and alarms may reduce your premium as it can lower your risk.

The exact premium you pay will depend on many different factors. Contact a BrokerLink insurance advisor to get a customized quote today!

Mandatory insurance

In some provinces, certain types of insurance, such as employers’ liability or automobile insurance for business vehicles, may be mandatory.

Bundling policies

Retailers may be able to bundle several types of coverage (like property, general liability, and business interruption) for a discount.

Review regularly

Insurance needs may evolve, so it’s important to review and adjust policies regularly based on business growth or changes in risk factors.

Retail business insurance considerations: retail store vs. online retail business

When selecting a commercial insurance policy for your retail business, you will need to make several considerations. One of the biggest distinctions between retail businesses is whether you operate a physical store or an e-commerce store only. This can dramatically impact the type of coverage you need. To help you understand which type of coverage is right for you, we break down a few things you will need to consider if you own a retail store or an e-commerce store:

Retail business insurance coverage for owners of retail stores

Retail business owners who operate a physical retail store, whether they rent or own it, will need to make sure they have coverage to protect themselves against liability claims and their physical property. As mentioned above, commercial property insurance is the main type of insurance coverage that can protect retail businesses from property damage. For example, under this type of coverage, if a fire broke out at one of your brick and mortar locations, your insurer would reimburse you for the cost of any repairs, as well as the cost of replacing any lost inventory (so long as fire was a named peril in your policy). Adding business interruption coverage to your commercial property insurance coverage may also be especially important for retail businesses with physical stores as if your store is the main way you sell products and it is forced to close temporarily due to damage, you could be out a lot of money. But with business interruption insurance, your insurer may reimburse you for this lost income.

Meanwhile, you would need commercial general liability insurance to protect you from third party claims arising from customers who visit your store. For example, if a customer visited your retail store but fell and injured themselves on the icy pathway leading to your front door, they could sue you for bodily injury. Without CGL, you may be forced to pay for an expensive lawsuit out of pocket, which could hurt the finances of your business. But with CGL, your insurer would step in and cover costs like legal fees, medical bills, and more. Note that cyber insurance will also be important for owners of retail stores as chances are, your store uses a POS system to store the financial and personal information of customers. Since you have a legal obligation to protect the sensitive customer data you store, cyber liability insurance will be important in the event of a cyber hack or other online security breach. Overall, the following types of coverage are recommended for retail businesses with retail stores:

Commercial general liability insurance
Commercial property insurance
Business interruption insurance
Product liability insurance
Cyber liability insurance

Retail business insurance coverage for online and e-commerce retail businesses

The types of insurance coverage that are important for online and e-commerce retail businesses are similar to that of those with retail stores, with a few key distinctions. Both types of retail businesses will benefit from commercial property insurance and commercial general liability insurance. These are staples of almost any commercial insurance policy. However, while cyber liability insurance is important for retail businesses with brick and mortar stores too, it might even be more important for online businesses. Why? Online retail businesses are even more vulnerable to data breaches or cyber attacks, which makes cyber liability insurance a must. The reality is that any customer who is browsing or entering their personal details on your retail business’s website expects their data to be secure and protected. If something occurs and their information is lost, your business could be in big trouble. But with cyber insurance, your insurance company would help cover the costs associated with an attack, which could make a huge difference.

Further, product liability insurance is also wise for online retail businesses, especially if you are not seeing the items you sell before shipping them out to customers. Product liability coverage offers financial protection in the event that a product you sell to a customer causes bodily harm or property damage, and they sue you. For example, if you sell specialty energy drinks and a customer buys one, drinks it, and has an allergic reaction, they could file a lawsuit against you. Luckily, product liability coverage would protect you.

At the end of the day, the following types of coverage are suggested for online or e-commerce retail businesses:

Commercial general liability insurance
Commercial property insurance
Product liability insurance
Cyber liability insurance

Contact us

Need help with business insurance? Our brokers can find the best discounts and plans for you. We'll offer personalized quotes and explore the best options.

With our expertise, you can focus on what you do best — running your business — while we handle all of your insurance needs. Let us take the stress out of finding the perfect coverage for you.

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Vehicle Insurance

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Other Insurance

Retail Industry Insurance

What is retail insurance?

Who we help

Who needs retail insurance?

Why do you need retail insurance?

Coverages

What does retail insurance cover?

Property insurance

General liability insurance

Product liability insurance

Business interruption insurance

Employer liability insurance

Cyber insurance

Business vehicle insurance:

Equipment breakdown insurance

Theft insurance

Property insurance

General liability insurance

Product liability insurance

Business interruption insurance

Employer liability insurance

Cyber insurance

Business vehicle insurance:

Equipment breakdown insurance

Theft insurance

Why choose BrokerLink for your commercial insurance needs?

Our reviews

Greg Silver

Andy Rohansingh

Ian Roome

Clara Furlano

Joyce Kivuyo-Kisamo

Terry Mason

Sandi G

DANI L

Anne Langevin

Peter Ayo

Chris Gelowitz

Digital Evolution

renee king

Andrea Case

Dan Hayes

Rana Najar

Mark Houston

Katherine Bedea

Jessie hansra

Ifedapo Adeniyi

David Ford

Michelle Hawgood

Trevor Hildebrand

Morgan Adekeye

Tyler Frisby

Steven Melowsky

Steve Payne

Matt & Sav Weetman

Brooklyn Seweryn

Craig Gillis

Cheryl Trush

Jinene Shinnicks

Geoff Aiken

Tony Hynes

Christine Fedrau

amanda

Lori Coffey

Our numbers speak for themselves

Factors that can affect the cost of retail insurance

Business size

Location

Type of retail

Claims history

Coverage limits and deductibles

Security measures

Mandatory insurance

Bundling policies

Review regularly

Retail business insurance considerations: retail store vs. online retail business

Retail business insurance coverage for owners of retail stores