# 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.

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

## Am I liable for faulty goods I only resell?

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.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** Motor liability for every vehicle; carrier's liability under § 7a GüKG (the German road haulage act) only if you haul goods for others, not when you carry your own
- **Biggest risk:** A warehouse fire followed by standstill and missed deliveries
- **Basic cover from:** about €300 a year for the public liability policy of a small wholesaler
- **Statutory accident insurer:** BGHW, the Berufsgenossenschaft for retail and logistics; mandatory for every business with staff
- **Often forgotten:** Bad debt: a single customer going bust can wipe out a year's profit
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 46.21 Großhandel mit Getreide, Rohtabak, Saatgut und Futtermitteln, 46.22 Großhandel mit Blumen und Pflanzen, 46.23 Großhandel mit lebenden Tieren, 46.24 Großhandel mit Häuten, Fellen und Leder, 46.31 Großhandel mit Obst, Gemüse und Kartoffeln, 46.32 Großhandel mit Fleisch, Fleischwaren, Fisch und Fischerzeugnissen, 46.33 Großhandel mit Milch, Milcherzeugnissen, Eiern, Speiseölen und Nahrungsfetten, 46.34 Großhandel mit Getränken, 46.35 Großhandel mit Tabakwaren, 46.36 Großhandel mit Zucker, Süßwaren und Backwaren, 46.37 Großhandel mit Kaffee, Tee, Kakao und Gewürzen, 46.38 Großhandel mit sonstigen Nahrungs- und Genussmitteln, 46.39 Großhandel mit Nahrungs- und Genussmitteln, Getränken und Tabakwaren, ohne ausgeprägten Schwerpunkt, 46.41 Großhandel mit Textilien, 46.42 Großhandel mit Bekleidung und Schuhen, 46.43 Großhandel mit Foto- und optischen Erzeugnissen, elektrischen Haushaltsgeräten und Geräten der Unterhaltungselektronik, 46.44 Großhandel mit keramischen Erzeugnissen, Glaswaren und Reinigungsmitteln, 46.45 Großhandel mit kosmetischen Erzeugnissen und Körperpflegemitteln, 46.46 Großhandel mit pharmazeutischen Erzeugnissen und medizinischen Hilfsmitteln, 46.47 Großhandel mit Möbeln, Teppichen, Lampen und Leuchten, 46.48 Großhandel mit Uhren und Schmuck, 46.49 Großhandel mit sonstigen Gebrauchs- und Verbrauchsgütern, 46.50 Großhandel mit Geräten der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik, 46.61 Großhandel mit landwirtschaftlichen Maschinen und Geräten, 46.62 Großhandel mit Werkzeugmaschinen, 46.63 Großhandel mit Bergwerks-, Bau- und Baustoffmaschinen, 46.64 Großhandel mit sonstigen Maschinen und Ausrüstungen, 46.81 Großhandel mit Brennstoffen und Mineralölerzeugnissen, 46.82 Großhandel mit Erzen, Metallen und Metallhalbzeug, 46.83 Großhandel mit Holz, Baustoffen, Anstrichmitteln und Sanitärausstattung, 46.84 Großhandel mit Metall- und Kunststoffwaren für Bauzwecke sowie Installationsbedarf für Gas, Wasser und Heizung, 46.85 Großhandel mit chemischen Erzeugnissen, 46.86 Großhandel mit sonstigen Halbwaren, 46.87 Großhandel mit Altmaterialien und Reststoffen, 46.89 Sonstiger Großhandel a. n. g., 46.90 Großhandel ohne ausgeprägten Schwerpunkt

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Warehouse fire:** Cardboard, film, pallets and forklift chargers: a warehouse fire can destroy goods worth hundreds of thousands in one night.
- **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.
- **Product liability and recalls:** Faulty imports, contaminated food, components that shut down a customer's plant: such claims quickly reach six figures.
- **Unpaid invoices:** Wholesalers deliver on credit. If a large buyer becomes insolvent, the money is gone while your own suppliers still want paying.
- **Forklifts and racking:** Forklift accidents, collapsing racks and heavy loads are among the most common workplace accidents in warehouses.
- **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.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers injury and property damage to customers and visitors and, with product liability, the consequences of faulty goods, which matters especially for imports. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Business contents** (Essential): Replaces stock, racking, forklifts and equipment after fire, burst pipes, storm and burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Business interruption** (Essential): Pays fixed costs and lost profit until the warehouse can deliver again after a fire; in wholesale often the largest single item. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Cargo insurance** (Strongly advised): Covers your goods on your own vehicles and when shipped by forwarders, whose liability is capped by law. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cargo-insurance.php
- **Fleet insurance** (Strongly advised): From about three vehicles, a fleet policy is usually cheaper and simpler than separate policies. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-fleet-insurance.php
- **Trade credit insurance** (Strongly advised): Replaces a large part of what you are owed if customers become insolvent, and vets buyers in advance. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-trade-credit.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): Pays for recovery, downtime and crisis support if your stock system or web shop is attacked. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Machinery breakdown** (Depends on the business): Covers forklifts, conveyors and refrigeration plant against operating errors and breakdown, even when no fire is involved. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-machinery-breakdown.php

## 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. We obtain the exact quote for you._

- [Finanzchef24: Versicherungen für den Einzelhandel (Transport und Haftpflicht)](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/einzelhandel)
- [Finanzchef24: Betriebshaftpflichtversicherung](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/betriebshaftpflichtversicherung)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Starter** (small wholesaler with a rented warehouse, shipping by parcel services): Business liability, Business contents, Business interruption. Together: about €1,000 to €2,500 a year
- **Warehouse and route** (own warehouse, own vehicles, deliveries to regular customers): Business liability, Business contents, Business interruption, Cargo insurance, Fleet insurance. Together: about €3,000 to €7,000 a year
- **All round** (importer or wholesaler with many customers on credit and a web shop): Business liability, Business contents, Business interruption, Cargo insurance, Fleet insurance, Trade credit insurance, Cyber insurance. Together: about €6,000 to €15,000 a year

## The worst day in the wholesale business

Six claims of the kind wholesalers and warehouses really see, all on one Monday. Click through the day and see who pays.

- 06:15: The stock system is encrypted: no picking, no delivery notes. Dispatch stands still for two days. (€28,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 08:40: A customer reports that the imported fan heaters overheat, and one has started a fire in a shop. (€45,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 10:30: Your own lorry crashes on the motorway. The load of electrical appliances is a write-off. (€38,000, Paid by: Cargo insurance)
- 13:00: A forklift driver damages the roller door and the forklift's hydraulic unit. (€9,500, Paid by: Machinery breakdown)
- 15:20: Your largest customer files for insolvency, with €120,000 in unpaid invoices. (€120,000, Paid by: Trade credit insurance)
- 23:10: A faulty charger sets the warehouse on fire. Stock destroyed, no deliveries for six weeks. (€650,000, Paid by: Business contents)

**Damage so far:** €890,500

## 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 settle 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.

## FAQ

### 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.

## 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-wholesale.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.