C-Store Insurance: Ready for a rainy day

Any retailer worth their salt has a shop-specific insurance package. And yet there are countless tales of retailers finding themselves woefully under-insured just at the time when it matters most, when they need a policy that will help them deal with a crisis and get back to business as quickly as possible.

Here at Convenience Store we realise how important it is to have a policy you can rely on, and that’s why we have partnered with Bluefin, who can offer our readers their specialist Convenience Store insurance policy.

The policy created just for you is designed to cover the risks you face as a retailer. It will protect you the retailer, your employees, assets, property, stock and customers. And, as a one-off promotion, Bluefin has pledged to beat any like-for-like quote for a limited period of time. subject to terms and conditions (for details, see the blue box on the right).

Bluefin prides itself on listening to retailers’ needs and as a result offers a thorough service. Says Bluefin branch director Steve O’Donnell: “Arranging business insurance is a much more complicated process than inputting a few details online and letting meerkats, bulldogs and ‘twerking’ gentlemen sort out your car and home insurance.

“Getting it wrong will mean that your business might not survive a significant loss so ensuring that your shop insurance is fit for purpose is one of the most important considerations you have to make. Unfortunately, too many fall into the trap of chasing the lowest premium without paying attention to a number of basic elements.”

While you may think your current policy is up to the job, are you sure it covers all these basic elements?

What are the financial credentials and reputation of the insurance company and will they be able to pay a claim if the worst were to happen?

Have you declared all your activities, such as sub-post offices, food to go, Collect+ and so on?

Do you understand how to calculate your insurance values, because if you get this wrong and they are not adequate then your insurance settlement will be proportionately reduced, potentially creating a shortfall?

Are you aware of all insurance conditions and warranties that you need to comply with to avoid a claim being rejected? These could relate to areas such as security and intruder alarms, ATM processes, inspections of your electrical installations, and health and safety compliance.

O’Donnell adds: “At Convenience Store Insurance we place great emphasis on carefully guiding retailers through the insurance buying process so that the recommended insurance policy is fit for purpose for each individual business, giving you the right cover at the right price. This will then deliver one of the main benefits that insurance offers - peace of mind that you will be looked after properly should something serious happen such as a fire, flood or a personal injury at your premises.”

As the appointed Convenience Store broker, the Bluefin team will work with retailers to identify any gaps or duplications in their current cover and suggest the right insurance for their business.

Convenience Store editor David Rees says: “Bluefin are one of the UK’s leading insurance brokers, so we can be confident that they will deliver the right advice and guidance in creating the insurance solutions that best protect retailers’ assets, revenues and people.”

In a series of articles over the coming months, Bluefin will be providing guidance about the areas where you might need insurance cover, and the ways in which Convenience Store Insurance can help protect your business.

To find out more about Convenience Store Insurance, call Bluefin free on 0845 241 9581, or visit  www.cstore-insurance.co.uk.