Business liability
Pays for customers' falls and injuries, damage to rented premises and claims arising from products you sell.
Insurance broker / Business types / Retail and wholesale
Insurance for retailers and shops in Germany
A shop lives from its stock, its window and its customers, and that is exactly where the claims happen: a break-in through the glass door, a customer who slips on a wet floor, water from the flat upstairs in the stockroom. This page explains what a shop really needs, what it costs and where the typical gaps are.
The question almost everyone asks first
Will the insurer pay if someone steals goods from my shop?
Usually not. Contents insurance pays for burglary, meaning someone breaks in or forces their way in, and for robbery. Shoplifting without a break-in, meaning goods slipped into a pocket while the shop is open, is almost never insured. Security tags, staff and cameras help against that, not the policy.
What goes wrong in this trade
- 01
Burglary
Glass door smashed, stock and till gone, plus the cost of repairing the door: burglaries hit ground-floor shops in particular.
- 02
Water from above
A leaking pipe in the flat upstairs or a sewer backflow soaks the stockroom and the goods.
- 03
Customers falling
Wet floors when it rains, loose rugs, goods falling from shelves: injuries are the most common liability claims in a shop.
- 04
Glass breakage
Shop windows, glass doors and display cases break through vandalism, accidents or heat and have to be replaced at once.
- 05
Closure after a loss
After a fire or water damage, the shop stays closed for weeks. Rent, wages and supplier invoices keep coming.
- 06
Till and card payments
Till system, online shop and card terminal are networked. An attack paralyses sales and accounts.
Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.
The insurance you need
Essential
Business contents
Replaces stock and fittings after burglary, robbery, fire, escape of water and storm; glass and natural hazards should be included.
Strongly advised
Business interruption
Business interruption cover pays rent, wages and lost profit while the shop stays closed after an insured loss.
Cyber insurance
For shops with a till system, customer data and an online shop that cannot sell without IT.
Depends on the business
Business legal expenses
Business legal expenses cover for disputes with the landlord, suppliers and staff, such as over rent reductions or dismissals.
Cargo insurance
If you collect or deliver goods yourself, it covers damage and theft on the way.
Company pension (bAV)
A company pension helps keep good sales staff and is supported by tax relief.
What it costs: example prices
For a small shop, liability and contents insurance are among the cheaper business policies. It gets more expensive with high stock values, valuable goods such as electronics or jewellery, large glass areas and a location in a flood zone.
| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Business liability | small shoe shop, €60,000 turnover, €3 million cover | about €80 to €250 a year |
| Business contents | craft supplies shop, €10,000 sum insured, €2,000 excess | about €45 to €150 a year |
| Business contents | Stock and fittings worth €80,000 including glass | about €300 to €900 a year |
| Business legal expenses | Boutique, €1,000 excess | about €95 to €300 a year |
| Cargo insurance | Goods in transit in your own vehicle, annual policy | about €180 to €400 a year |
For comparison: Liability and contents insurance for a small shop cost about as much per year as one month's rent for two to three square metres of sales space in a good town centre location.
Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. The entry prices for liability, contents, legal expenses and transit come from published tariff examples; the range for €80,000 contents is a guide value from our quoting practice. We obtain the exact quote for you.
Sources of the price examples
Our suggestions: three packages
01
Start
For: small shop with little stock, owner working alone
- Business liability
- Business contents
Together about €150 to €450 a year
Request this package02
Specialist shop
For: shop with two to ten employees and a stockroom
- Business liability
- Business contents
- Business interruption
- Business legal expenses
Together about €600 to €1,800 a year
Request this package03
All round
For: shop with online store, delivery service and high stock value
- Business liability
- Business contents
- Business interruption
- Business legal expenses
- Cyber insurance
- Cargo insurance
Together about €1,500 to €4,000 a year
Request this packageThe worst day in the shop
Six things that really happen to shops, all on a single Saturday. Go through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€83,500
-
The glass door is smashed, the till forced open and high-value goods are missing from the display case.
-
It is dripping from the stockroom ceiling: the washing machine in the flat upstairs has leaked. Boxes of stock are soaked.
-
A customer slips on the wet entrance area and breaks her wrist.
-
The till system is encrypted. Card payments and stock management are down all day.
-
A shelf of decorative glass tips over because it was not fixed to the wall and slightly injures a child.
-
A short circuit in the window lighting starts a fire. The shop stays closed for six weeks.
Which package would you have had?
Illustrative amounts before any excess. Whether and how much is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
- Insure stock and fittings at new value and raise the sum before peak seasons such as Christmas, otherwise you risk being underinsured.
- Include natural hazards such as heavy rain and sewer backflow, especially for ground-floor shops or those with a basement stockroom.
- Include glass insurance for shop windows and doors, or take it out separately if the landlord does not cover it.
- Read the security requirements for the till and valuables; if you do not meet them, you risk losing your payout after a burglary.
- Include damage to the rented premises in your liability cover, for example if a shelf damages the wall.
- If you import goods yourself, check product liability; as an importer you are liable like a manufacturer.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We compare for your shop
Security requirements, glass and natural hazard cover differ a lot between insurers. We obtain several quotes and explain the differences.
We know how a claim works
In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves, including many thefts. We know which receipts and lists the insurer needs after a burglary.
Business and private in one place
Shop, delivery van, your staff's pensions and your personal cover all come together with us.
Family business since 1989
Our advice costs you nothing; the insurer pays our remuneration. You reach a person who knows your policy.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
What insurance does a retailer in Germany need?
The basis is public liability and contents insurance covering burglary, fire, escape of water and storm. Business interruption insurance makes a lot of sense, because costs keep running after a loss.
How much does insurance cost for a small shop?
Published tariffs start at around €80 a year for liability and around €45 for small contents cover. For a specialist shop with business interruption, expect €600 to €1,800 in our experience.
Is shoplifting covered?
No, simple theft during opening hours is almost never insured. Contents insurance pays for burglary and robbery.
Who pays if the shop window is smashed?
Glass insurance, either as a module of your contents insurance or as a separate policy. Check whether your landlord already insures the pane.
Do I need product liability as a retailer?
Yes, if you import goods from outside the EU or sell under your own brand. Then you are liable like a manufacturer. For pure retailers, product liability is usually included in public liability.
Does insurance pay if roadworks outside halve my sales?
No. Business interruption insurance only pays after an insured physical loss in your shop. Lost sales from roadworks or road closures are not insured.
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request quotes for Retail
The recommended covers are already ticked. Change what does not fit; we obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. You can write in English.
Thank you, we have your request.
We will be in touch within one working day. If it is urgent: +49 3375 29 12 77.
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Official classification
This page covers the following classes of the German WZ 2025 (identical to NACE at four digits):
- 47.62 Einzelhandel mit Zeitschriften, Zeitungen, Schreibwaren und Bürobedarf
- 47.63 Einzelhandel mit Fahrrädern, Sport- und Campingartikeln
- 47.76 Einzelhandel mit Blumen, Pflanzen, Düngemitteln, Tierfutter und Haustieren
- 47.78 Einzelhandel mit sonstigen Neuwaren
Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), WZ 2025. All business types
Boat or yacht? Here we are not the broker but the underwriting agency, with our own policies and our own claims handling.
Boat insuranceNAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker. Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated