Commercial property insurance

Retail and Shop Insurance

Retail is the most public commercial property there is: glass at the front, stock on the floor, and the public walking through all day. It is also the property type where the split between the landlord's policy and the tenant's policy is misread most often. We arrange cover for shop owners, retail landlords and strip and centre tenancies.

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Quick Quote

60 seconds

Your interest in the property

Approximate value to insure

Building, contents and fit-out combined. A ballpark is fine.

Insured Name

The company, trust or individual name on the title or lease.

Property state

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No obligation. Subject to eligibility and underwriting.

Cover

What retail properties need covered

Shopfront Glass and Signage

Glass is a standalone section for a reason: a single shopfront pane can run into five figures once you add after-hours boarding up, re-lettering and the security guard overnight. Internal glass, mirrors and glass signage go on the same schedule.

Stock and Fit-out

The fit-out a tenant paid for is the tenant's to insure, even though it is physically part of the landlord's building. That single misunderstanding is the most common uninsured loss in retail. Stock needs a sum insured that reflects seasonal peaks, not a quiet Tuesday.

Theft, Ram-Raids and Malicious Damage

Retail theft claims usually arrive with structural damage attached, and the cost of repairing a smashed entry often exceeds the stock taken. Cover should contemplate the building damage, the stock and the clean-up together.

Public Liability on the Shop Floor

A wet floor, a display that topples, a trip on a step at the entry. Retail liability claims are frequent and they name whoever controls the space, so both landlord and tenant need their own liability limit rather than assuming the other's policy answers.

Prevention of Access

Sometimes the loss is not your damage at all. A fire two doors down, or a centre closed while it is repaired, can stop you trading for weeks. Prevention of access extends business interruption to a loss caused by damage at neighbouring premises, and it is easy to leave off a retail policy.

Cover, limits and examples shown are general in nature and subject to eligibility, underwriting and the terms of the issued policy.

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Reviews are for Stonewell Insurance, the business behind Commercial Property Cover. Authorised Representative of McLardy McShane Partners Pty Ltd (AFSL 232987).

FAQ

Retail properties insurance questions.

Speak with our team on 1300 080 323.

What insurance does a retail shop need?

For a tenant: contents and stock, fit-out, glass, public liability and business interruption. For the owner: building, loss of rent and property owners liability. If you both own and run the shop you need the lot, which is worth arranging under one programme so nothing falls between two policies.

Who replaces a broken shopfront window, the landlord or the tenant?

It depends on the lease, but in most retail leases glass is the tenant's responsibility, which is why glass is a standard section on a shop policy. Check the repairs and insurance clauses in your lease, or send it to us and we will tell you which policy should carry it.

Does shop insurance cover me if the whole centre closes?

Only with the right extension. Business interruption responds to damage at your own premises; prevention of access extends it to damage at neighbouring or adjoining property that stops customers reaching you. For a tenancy in a centre or a strip, it is a section worth having.

Is stock insured at cost price or retail value?

Ordinarily at cost to replace, not at the retail price you would have sold it for. The profit you would have made on lost stock is picked up by business interruption instead, which is one reason the two sections need to be sized together.

How much does retail shop insurance cost?

There is no single price. It depends on your location and the centre or strip, the value of stock and fit-out, glass exposure, security and trading hours, your claims history and the sections you take. We compare options across a panel of insurers.

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Get my quote 1300 080 323

Commercial Property Cover is a trading name of Stonewell Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 23 645 965 699), Corporate Authorised Representative No. 1285612 of McLardy McShane Partners Pty Ltd (ABN 14 064 465 309, AFSL 232987).