Business contents insurance

Provide us with your details and one of our insurance experts will contact you to discuss your requirements

Mike maur

It's been a pleasure dealing with Elizabeth, Def a Gem for her business. Amazing communicator and process dealing with all the paperwork was made easy and stress free. Keep it up !

Nov 28, 2024

Nasir Abbas Kazmi

I applied vehicle Finance through Swoop & lady Ikra help me from Beginning to end,she s very professional & helpful. Its just took 3 to 4 days & now i got new vehicle. I received Best customer services from Ikra & High recommend for this Swoop Finance.

Nov 26, 2024

Hazel Cuizon

Ayesha was very prompt and friendly to deal with and answered all my questions in a timely and professional manner. Very happy, highly recommend 🙂

Nov 24, 2024

Andrew Frazer

Cynthi was a fantastic help in organising what was needing and obtaining finance

Nov 8, 2024

Chris Skeates

Predrag and the Swoop team have been outstanding. Very attentive to our needs and staying on top of our funding request with their partners.

Oct 24, 2024

Leo Tsuo

Great experience. They quickly understood my needs and was fast to find a lender that met those needs. Highly recommend

Oct 22, 2024

Kash De Silva

I had a fantastic experience working with Elizabeth Tan for my business lending needs. She provided exceptional support and guidance, helping me navigate the process with ease. Her expertise and dedication were instrumental in taking my business to the next stage. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for lending assistance!

Oct 15, 2024

Shannon T

Cynthia has gone above and beyond, explained the process, consequences, and found me the most suitable solutions for my business in a very busy time! I found the help (even before I was guaranteed to use them) invaluable and the help made all the difference!

Oct 9, 2024

Jon Marc

Swoop came in at just the right time and there help was very much what took me over the hump to expand. They really know how to help and they follow up and make sure you’ve been taken care of!

Oct 8, 2024

Tendekai Mutemeri

Would recommend anyone to use my lovely lady, she went above and beyond to get me my business finance, the response when I had a question about anything and everything was on point, got me the deal I could have asked for, please use her services 🙂 😊 😀

Sep 6, 2024

Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

Page written by Chris Godfrey. Last reviewed on September 21, 2024. Next review due April 6, 2025.

Business contents cover is designed to replace the contents of shops, offices, restaurants, surgeries, garages, workshops and almost every other type of business in the event of fire, flood, theft, vandalism and accident. Use business contents insurance to replace cash, and pay for new fixtures and fittings, equipment, stock and samples, raw materials, and employees’ personal belongings if they’re damaged, lost, or stolen.

Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

What is stock insurance?

Stock insurance is a specific type of business insurance known as contents cover. It pays the cost of replacing or repairing your stock or inventory in the event that it is partially or totally lost, destroyed or damaged due to fire, theft, flood or malicious damage.

Why is business stock insurance important?

For many UK SMEs and sole traders, the bulk of their business worth is tied up in the stock they have on-site or in a warehouse. Often, the value of these goods and materials can run into the hundreds of thousands or even millions of pounds. If the stock was uninsured and it was suddenly lost due to any of the circumstances listed above, the impact on the business could be catastrophic. Instead, stock insurance eliminates this type of risk, allowing your business to continue trading even if the worst should ever happen.

Use stock insurance to protect:

Raw materials
Finished goods
Work in progress
Office supplies
Goods in transit

Does your business need stock insurance?

If you keep stock and inventory on your business premises, or in a warehouse, then yes you do. Some general business insurance policies may exclude stock and inventory, or only provide protection up to a very low limit. Additionally, some stock, such as frozen foods, inflammable products, paints and chemicals and valuable machinery will require special stock cover due to higher risk.

What's covered by a stock insurance policy?

Stock insurance will pay to repair or replace your stock if it is destroyed, damaged or stolen via these types of incidents:

Theft

Stock insurance will cover the cost of replacing your stolen stock up to the limit of your policy.

When would I claim? Example:

Your shop is broken into, and your entire stock of consumer electronics are stolen, leaving you unable to fulfill current or future sales.

Fire

Covers your stock and inventory if it is damaged or destroyed in a fire at your premises.

When would I claim? Example:

A short circuit causes an electrical fire that spreads to your stockroom, destroying everything within.

Flood

Covers your stock and inventory if it is damaged or destroyed by flooding, either through manmade or natural causes.

When would I claim? Example:

Heavy rain floods your store room, damaging the fashion goods you were intending to sell.

Malicious damage

Protects you from loss if your stock if damaged or destroyed by vandalism or an act of malicious damage.

When would I claim? Example:

Someone breaks into your gift shop and pulls down a rack of expensive glassware.

Are there any limits and exclusions on stock insurance?

All insurance policies have some exclusions and special terms and conditions, and stock insurance is no different.

Here are some common exclusions to be aware of:

Stock insurance will typically exclude deterioration of goods due to a change in temperature or as a result of electrical or mechanical breakdown—in other words, frozen food wouldn’t be covered as standard.
Stock insurance will not protect you if your premises are not secured in the way you specified when you took out the policy.
There may be a financial limits on wines, spirits and tobacco products.
Stock stored in a basement is typically not covered unless it is on a rack at least a minimum distance off the floor.
Insurance will not pay out for damage due to wear and tear, light, moths, vermin, insects, damp, deterioration.
Stock insurance does not cover stock shortages or damage identified only whilst taking inventory.
Nor will it cover stock loss or damage resulting from dishonesty or fraud by an employee or a person lawfully on your premises.

How much does contents insurance cost?

Premiums for stock insurance can start at less than £20 per month, but actual costs will depend on your business type, your location, the security of your premises, the value of your stock, and the level of excess you agree to pay.

How Swoop can help

All business involves risk, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer the consequences if things go wrong. Don’t let the loss or damage of your stock call time on your business. Contact Swoop today to compare top-quality stock insurance from different providers and to discuss all your business insurance needs.

Written by

Chris Godfrey

Chris is a freelance copywriter and content creator. He has been active in the marketing, advertising, and publishing industries for more than twenty-five years. Writing for Barclays Bank, Metro Bank, Wells Fargo, ABN Amro, Quidco, Legal and General, Inshur Zego, AIG, Met Life, State Farm, Direct Line, insurers and pension funds, his words have appeared online and in print to inform, entertain and explain the complex world of consumer and business finance and insurance.

Swoop promise

At Swoop we want to make it easy for SMEs to understand the sometimes overwhelming world of business finance and insurance. Our goal is simple – to distill complex topics, unravel jargon, offer transparent and impartial information, and empower businesses to make smart financial decisions with confidence.

Find out more about Swoop’s editorial principles by reading our editorial policy.