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BookshopInsurance

Bookshop Insurance

Public liability and stock cover built for bookshops, including specialist cover for rare and antiquarian books.

Public liability and stock cover built for bookshops, including specialist cover for rare and antiquarian books.

Water damage to stock
Author events
Business interruption
Compare from 20+ Trusted Insurers

Cover for bookshops across the UK

Speak to a specialist 0330 027 0996

Allianz
Granite Underwriting
Inshur
Aviva
Jensten Insurance Brokers
ERS
Bond Lovis
QBE
Victor
Admiral business
Axa
Highway
Collingwood
Zurich
KGM
Ageas
NIG
Sabre
DCL
Allianz
Granite Underwriting
Inshur
Aviva
Jensten Insurance Brokers
ERS
Bond Lovis
QBE
Victor
Admiral business
Axa
Highway
Collingwood
Zurich
KGM
Ageas
NIG
Sabre
DCL

What is bookshop insurance?

Bookshop insurance is a combination of covers built around selling books, public liability for customer injury, stock cover for your books, and employers’ liability if you have staff.

If you deal in rare, first edition or antiquarian books, standard stock cover may not reflect their true value, specialist cover can insure them properly.

The right bookshop cover depends on:

Value of stock held
Rare or antiquarian books
Author events or signings
Café or reading area on site
Number of staff
Number of sites
A man getting into a car outside an office building

Is this cover right for your shop?

Is this cover right for your shop?

This cover suits any business selling books, whatever the format or specialism.

This cover suits any business selling books, whatever the format or specialism.

Independent Bookshops

General independent booksellers.

Rare & Antiquarian

Dealers in rare and collectable books.

Children’s Bookshops

Shops specialising in children’s books.

Specialist & Academic

Shops focused on a single subject area.

Online & Physical Hybrid

Shops selling both in-store and online.

Multiple Sites

Owners managing more than one shop.

What could go wrong at your bookshop?

What could go wrong at your bookshop?

Most bookshop claims come from a customer injured by a display or shelving, water damaging stock, or an incident at an author event.

Most bookshop claims come from a customer injured by a display or shelving, water damaging stock, or an incident at an author event.

Water or fire damages a high-value or rare item.

Smiling bookseller handing a book to a customer holding a payment card.

How could a claim affect your shop?

How could a claim affect your shop?

A single incident can outweigh months of margin on a small retail business.

A single incident can outweigh months of margin on a small retail business.

Rare Book Damage

A high-value or rare book is damaged or destroyed.

What cover may respond?

Stock Insurance

Fire

A fire damages the shop and stock.

What cover may respond?

Property + Business Interruption

Customer Injury

A customer is injured in the shop.

What cover may respond?

Public Liability

Staff Injury

An employee is injured while working.

What cover may respond?

Employers’ Liability

A man getting into a car outside an office building

Who needs bookshop insurance?

Bookshop insurance may be suitable if you sell books, whatever the size or format of your shop.

This cover may be suitable if you’re:

Running an independent bookshop
Dealing in rare or antiquarian books
Hosting author events or signings
Selling online as well as in-store
Managing more than one site
Employing shop floor staff

Dealing in rare or antiquarian books?

Dealing in rare or antiquarian books?

Standard stock cover may not reflect their true value. Let’s make sure your cover matches what you actually hold.

Standard stock cover may not reflect their true value. Let’s make sure your cover matches what you actually hold.

Antique leather-bound books arranged on dark wooden shelves.

Cover built around your shop

Cover built around your shop

Most bookshops combine public liability, employers’ liability, stock and contents cover, with extra public liability if you host author events.

Most bookshops combine public liability, employers’ liability, stock and contents cover, with extra public liability if you host author events.

Public Liability

Public Liability

Protection if a customer or member of the public is injured or their property is damaged.


Stock Insurance

Stock Insurance

Protects your stock against theft, fire or damage.


Business Interruption

Business Interruption

Potential protection for lost income if an insured event stops you trading.


Business Contents

Business Contents

Cover for eligible fixtures, fittings and equipment.


Employers’ Liability

Employers’ Liability

A legal requirement once you employ any staff, even casual help.


Legal Expenses

Legal Expenses

Additional legal protection for supplier and contract disputes.


How much does bookshop insurance cost?

There’s no fixed price. It depends on your stock value, whether you sell rare books, staff numbers and your claims history.

Value of stock

Higher-value stock increases your stock cover premium.

Online sales

Selling online as well as in-store can affect your risk profile.

Rare or antiquarian books

Specialist high-value items may need additional cover.

Level of cover

Adding a higher limit or extra cover increases your premium.

Number of staff

More employees increase your employers’ liability exposure.

Claims history

A clean claims record helps keep premiums down at renewal.

Modern bookshop with rows of wooden shelves, central displays and parquet flooring.

Why choose Insurance Revolution for bookshop insurance?

We make sure specialist stock cover reflects rare and high-value books, not just a generic retail limit.

Specialist retail insurers
Experienced UK advisers
Access to 20+ UK insurers
Cover for rare and antiquarian books
Cover for online and physical sales
Support for author events

How to get bookshop insurance

How to get bookshop insurance

Getting bookshop insurance takes four steps: tell us about your shop, tell us what covers you need, compare specialist insurers, then get covered, often the same day.

Getting bookshop insurance takes four steps: tell us about your shop, tell us what covers you need, compare specialist insurers, then get covered, often the same day.

1

Tell us about your shop

Your stock, premises and whether you have staff.

2

Choose your covers

Public liability, stock and any extras.

3

We compare specialist insurers

We search our panel of 20+ UK insurers.

4

Get covered and trading

Receive your documents, usually the same day.

We’re with you all the way

UK-based specialist advisers
Access to specialist insurers
No obligation, just expert help

Hosting author events or book groups?

Hosting author events or book groups?

We can issue your certificate the same day, so public events never wait on paperwork.

We can issue your certificate the same day, so public events never wait on paperwork.

Reader posing for a photograph with an author at a book signing.

Trusted by thousands of businesses across the UK

Trusted by thousands of businesses across the UK

From everyday business insurance to complex specialist cover, our customers trust Insurance Revolution to find the right protection and provide expert support when it matters.

From everyday business insurance to complex specialist cover, our customers trust Insurance Revolution to find the right protection and provide expert support when it matters.

Bookshop insurance guides

Bookshop insurance guides

Practical advice on cover, rare books and staying protected.

Practical advice on cover, rare books and staying protected.

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Bookshop insurance FAQs

Bookshop insurance FAQs

Straight answers on cover, rare books and cost.

Straight answers on cover, rare books and cost.

Bookshop insurance is a combination of covers built around selling books: public liability for customer injury, stock cover for your books, and employers’ liability if you have staff.

Still have questions?

Our advisers are here to help you find the right solution.

Related shops we cover

Related shops we cover

Bookshops share retail and event risks with these shops. Each has its own cover needs.

Bookshops share retail and event risks with these shops. Each has its own cover needs.

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