# 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.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-retail-shop.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## 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.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No statutory insurance duty; many landlords require public liability in the lease, and often glass insurance too
- **Biggest risk:** Loss of stock and fittings through burglary, fire or water, and the lost sales afterwards
- **Basic cover from:** about €80 a year for the public liability of a small shop
- **Statutory accident insurer:** BG Handel und Warenlogistik (BGHW), the Berufsgenossenschaft for retail and logistics; membership is compulsory from your first employee
- **Often forgotten:** Simple theft during opening hours is not covered by contents insurance, only burglary with signs of forced entry
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 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

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Burglary:** Glass door smashed, stock and till gone, plus the cost of repairing the door: burglaries hit ground-floor shops in particular.
- **Water from above:** A leaking pipe in the flat upstairs or a sewer backflow soaks the stockroom and the goods.
- **Customers falling:** Wet floors when it rains, loose rugs, goods falling from shelves: injuries are the most common liability claims in a shop.
- **Glass breakage:** Shop windows, glass doors and display cases break through vandalism, accidents or heat and have to be replaced at once.
- **Closure after a loss:** After a fire or water damage, the shop stays closed for weeks. Rent, wages and supplier invoices keep coming.
- **Till and card payments:** Till system, online shop and card terminal are networked. An attack paralyses sales and accounts.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 3, Fire and water 4, Theft 5, Cyber 3, Downtime 4, Health 2

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Pays for customers' falls and injuries, damage to rented premises and claims arising from products you sell. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Business contents** (Essential): Replaces stock and fittings after burglary, robbery, fire, escape of water and storm; glass and natural hazards should be included. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): Business interruption cover pays rent, wages and lost profit while the shop stays closed after an insured loss. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): For shops with a till system, customer data and an online shop that cannot sell without IT. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): Business legal expenses cover for disputes with the landlord, suppliers and staff, such as over rent reductions or dismissals. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Cargo insurance** (Depends on the business): If you collect or deliver goods yourself, it covers damage and theft on the way. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cargo-insurance.php
- **Company pension (bAV)** (Depends on the business): A company pension helps keep good sales staff and is supported by tax relief. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-company-pension.php

## 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._

- [Finanzchef24: Versicherungen für den Einzelhandel](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/einzelhandel)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Start** (small shop with little stock, owner working alone): Business liability, Business contents. Together: about €150 to €450 a year
- **Specialist shop** (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
- **All round** (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

## The 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.

- 06:40: The glass door is smashed, the till forced open and high-value goods are missing from the display case. (€14,000, Paid by: Business contents)
- 09:30: It is dripping from the stockroom ceiling: the washing machine in the flat upstairs has leaked. Boxes of stock are soaked. (€9,500, Paid by: Business contents)
- 11:15: A customer slips on the wet entrance area and breaks her wrist. (€8,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 13:50: The till system is encrypted. Card payments and stock management are down all day. (€6,500, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 15:30: A shelf of decorative glass tips over because it was not fixed to the wall and slightly injures a child. (€3,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 21:10: A short circuit in the window lighting starts a fire. The shop stays closed for six weeks. (€42,000, Paid by: Business interruption)

**Damage so far:** €83,500

## 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.

## FAQ

### 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.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-retail-shop.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT 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.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.