Insurance for wholesalers and trade warehouses in Germany
In wholesale, the money sits in the warehouse, on the lorry and in your customers' unpaid invoices. A warehouse fire, an accident with a full load or the insolvency of a major buyer hits the business at once. On top of that comes liability for goods you import or sell under your own name. This page shows what to cover and what it costs.
Yes, in certain cases. Under the German Product Liability Act, anyone importing goods from outside the EU counts as the manufacturer. The same applies if you sell under your own brand or cannot name the manufacturer. That is why a wholesaler's public liability policy needs product liability, with imports expressly included and often product recall as well.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
Warehouse fire
Cardboard, film, pallets and forklift chargers: a warehouse fire can destroy goods worth hundreds of thousands in one night.
02
Goods on the road
An accident, theft from the lorry or a shifting load: on the way to the customer, goods are not covered by the warehouse policy.
03
Product liability and recalls
Faulty imports, contaminated food, components that shut down a customer's plant: such claims quickly reach six figures.
04
Unpaid invoices
Wholesalers deliver on credit. If a large buyer becomes insolvent, the money is gone while your own suppliers still want paying.
05
Forklifts and racking
Forklift accidents, collapsing racks and heavy loads are among the most common workplace accidents in warehouses.
06
Stock system offline
Without the merchandise management system and web shop, no order gets picked. A ransomware attack can halt warehouse and dispatch for days.
Covers injury and property damage to customers and visitors and, with product liability, the consequences of faulty goods, which matters especially for imports.
Covers forklifts, conveyors and refrigeration plant against operating errors and breakdown, even when no fire is involved.
What it costs: example prices
In wholesale, the premium depends on stock value, turnover, type of goods and fleet. Food, electronics and imports from outside the EU are rated differently from building materials or textiles.
Insurance
Example
Typical range
Business liability
Wholesaler with €1 to €2 million turnover, product liability included
about €300 to €900 a year
Business contents
Stock and fittings worth €500,000
about €800 to €2,000 a year
Business interruption
Loss of income for up to twelve months, added to the contents policy
about €300 to €900 a year on top
Cargo insurance
Own deliveries and shipping, annual flat rate
about €200 to €800 a year
Trade credit insurance
Receivables from around €2 million annual turnover sold on credit
about €1,500 to €4,000 a year
For comparison: Basic cover of public liability, contents and loss of income costs about as much a year as two tanks of fuel for your delivery lorry.
Guide prices as of September 2026,
based on published tariff examples for trade and on our own quoting practice;
very few examples are published for wholesale because almost every policy is priced individually.
Six claims of the kind wholesalers and warehouses really see, all on one Monday. Click through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€890,500
The stock system is encrypted: no picking, no delivery notes. Dispatch stands still for two days.
€28,000 · Paid by: Cyber insurance
A customer reports that the imported fan heaters overheat, and one has started a fire in a shop.
€45,000 · Paid by: Business liability
Your own lorry crashes on the motorway. The load of electrical appliances is a write-off.
€38,000 · Paid by: Cargo insurance
A forklift driver damages the roller door and the forklift's hydraulic unit.
€9,500 · Paid by: Machinery breakdown
Your largest customer files for insolvency, with €120,000 in unpaid invoices.
€120,000 · Paid by: Trade credit insurance
A faulty charger sets the warehouse on fire. Stock destroyed, no deliveries for six weeks.
€650,000 · Paid by: Business contents
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €890,500
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Have imports from outside the EU expressly included in product liability, plus recall costs if you trade in food, electrical goods or children's products.
Choose at least €5 million cover for injury and property damage, and more like €10 million if you supply industrial customers.
Insure stock with a reporting or sum adjustment clause, so that seasonal peaks do not leave you underinsured.
Base loss of income cover on how long rebuilding a warehouse really takes: twelve months is often not enough, 18 to 24 months is safer.
Do not rely on the forwarder's liability when shipping: it is capped by law at a few euros per kilogram.
Consider trade credit insurance as soon as a single customer accounts for more than ten per cent of your turnover.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We calculate your downtime with you
As a broker we compare several insurers and set the sums for stock and loss of income together with you, rather than guessing. In a major loss that decides hundreds of thousands of euros.
We know how claims are examined
In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves and know loss adjusters, evidence and deadlines. That helps when every pallet is counted after a warehouse fire.
Warehouse, fleet and receivables in one place
Property cover, vehicles, transit, trade credit and your staff's benefits are handled by one contact.
Family business since 1989
Free of charge for you, as the insurer pays our commission. And when things go wrong, you reach people who know your business.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
What insurance does a wholesaler in Germany need?
Public liability with product liability,
contents insurance for the warehouse and loss of income cover are the foundation.
With your own vehicles you add motor or fleet insurance and transit insurance.
Do I need carrier's liability insurance?
Only if you haul goods for others commercially with vehicles over 3.5 tonnes.
If you carry only your own goods, German law calls that Werkverkehr (own account transport),
and the obligation under § 7a GüKG does not apply.
You then protect your goods with transit insurance.
How much does insurance for a wholesaler cost?
A small wholesaler with a rented warehouse usually pays between €1,000 and €2,500 a year for
liability, contents and loss of income.
With a fleet and trade credit insurance it quickly reaches €5,000 or more.
Is trade credit insurance worth it?
Above all if you deliver on credit and individual customers make up a large share of your turnover.
The insurer vets your buyers and in an insolvency usually pays 70 to 90 per cent of the debt.
Are goods insured while with the forwarder?
The forwarder's liability is limited,
on the road usually 8.33 special drawing rights per kilogram, which is far too little for light,
valuable goods.
Your own transit insurance closes this gap.
Are my warehouse staff insured through the company?
Workplace accidents are covered by the BGHW,
the statutory accident insurer for retail and logistics.
Group accident insurance and a company pension are useful voluntary extras.
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