Public & Product Liability Insurance

If you're running a stall on a market it is essential that you hold Public & Product Liability Insurance.  This protects you from any liability if, for example, a shopper happens to get injured and for liability associated with the products you're selling. Most markets insist that you have this insurance in place before you start trading. You only need one public liability policy, this will cover you for any market you operate in.  Up to £5m cover for any one occurrence is standard and you should expect to pay an annual premium of around £50.

Protect your employees

If you are employing people on your stall, even on a casual basis, it is a statutory requirement that you should have Employers' Liability Insurance to cover claims up to £10m for any one occurrence.  Premiums should be around £25 per annum.

You pays your money, you takes your choice

As with everything, it pays to shop around, you do not need to go to a special market trader insurance company or buy insurance offered by a market operator – most insurance companies will offer liability insurance for all types of businesses, including market traders.

You may be offered an insurance “bundle” that includes other “benefits” but consider whether you actually need these “free” extras and whether they truly offer value for money.

Remember, you may also be able to negotiate discounts if you have several types of insurance with the same insurance company.

Go compare the meerkats

We suggest you try googling “liability insurance” - it's also worth getting quotations from insurance comparison websites – and don't forget to check with other stallholders for their recommendations.