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Pop-up your stallholders insurance in no time

You're in charge of what goes into your policy, so you only pay for what you need.

Get a quote Retrieve a quote

or call us on 0345 605 9168

Call us on 0345 605 9168

Get free 24/7 legal advice and access to an online legal documents service with Legal Essentials

Included as standard when you buy or renew any of our business insurance policies. Document services and legal advice helpline are provided by DAS Legal Expenses Insurance limited

  • Get 10% off business insurance if you’re already a Direct Line customer.

    Discount applies to your new business insurance policy. Subject to minimum premiums.

  • We grow with you – if your business grows or changes, we won't charge you admin fees to amend your policy.
  • Pay monthly by direct debit with 0% APR representative in the first year.

    New customers only, over 18s, subject to eligibility.

  • We won't be beaten on price. We'll beat your new business insurance quote or renewal premium from any other insurer.

    New customers only. Cover on an equivalent basis to ours. Qualifying criteria apply. Terms & Conditions.

Stallholder insurance that works for you

No one day is the same when you trade from your stall or pop-up. Not only do you get to travel to a variety of locations and meet new people, you also have to take on different roles within your business. From production and distribution to sales and product replenishment - you've got a lot to manage. You need to know your insurance will cover you for your business activities.

At Direct Line for Business, we offer an insurance policy you can customise yourself. Using our simple online tool, you can select the areas of your business you want to insure, so you get all the cover you need without paying for the cover you don't.

If you just need public and products liability, as required by the market or fair organisers, you can get a policy in minutes, with instant access to your public liability insurance certificate.

Whether you sell food, handmade jewellery, scarves or gifts, we can provide insurance that's just right for your business. If you decide to expand your business later, by selling your products online or in a shop, for example, you can amend your policy without having to pay any admin fees.

All your cover is contained within one policy, so you only have one renewal date to remember. It couldn't be easier.

Getting a quote online

When you start your online quote you will be asked to enter your trade. We cannot offer you a quote if you enter your trade as 'market trader', as this is too general a description. You will need to make sure to specify the type of products you sell, e.g. food and drink retail, arts and crafts retail, or clothing and accessories retail.

Get a quote
or call us on 0345 605 9168
Get a quote call us on 0345 605 9168

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Your cover options

You can select any of the following cover options to create a policy that precisely fits your business needs. These covers are subject to policy conditions and limits.

  • Public and product liability

    Public liability covers you if you accidentally injure a member of the public, or damage their property, whilst making or selling your products. A customer could trip on a gazebo wire or be injured by something falling from your stall. This is the insurance that would cover the costs you'd need to pay.

    Product liability covers you against any injury or sickness caused by the products you sell. If someone got food poisoning from your food, or injured from a sharp piece of jewellery, this cover would pay for the claims.

    It's important to have an annual public and products liability policy even if you only sell at fairs at specific times like Christmas or summer, as someone could be injured by your produce at any time. Find out more about product liability here.

    Proof of public liability insurance is often required if you want to run your pitch at someone else's venue, so it's important to have it in place. Our documents are all online, so you'll have your public liability certificate available immediately.

    We can offer cover from £1 million to £10 million, subject to criteria.

  • Employers' liability

    Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement if you have employees, even if you hire them on a casual basis. There are a couple of exceptions to this rule, which you can read about here.

    This covers the legal costs and compensation you might have to pay if someone gets injured or becomes ill because of the work they do for you. At Direct Line for Business, we cover you for £10 million, as standard.

  • Buildings cover

    If the place where you make your produce or store your stock is damaged by an insured event such as a flood or fire, then buildings cover will help you recover your losses. It can also help pay for debris removal and architects' fees.

    Equipment breakdown cover (for items that form part of your building) is included as standard, so if your equipment breaks down and you need to repair or replace items, this policy covers the costs. Equipment could include boilers and fire or burglar alarms, but breakdown must not be due to wear and tear.

  • Contents and stock

    Contents and stock insurance is important for stallholders/pop-ups. Whether you work in retail or catering, you need to make sure you're covered in case of damage or theft.

    If you keep your tools, stock or raw materials at your home or shop then you also need them covered, especially if you rely on them on a daily basis.

    You can choose to cover all your items at your home or shop and away at markets, fairs and pop-ups.

    At Direct Line for Business, when you insure stock at your premises or home you'll also get an extra 25% of stock covered for two months of your choice as standard, ideal for your busiest periods.

    We can also cover your electronic items, including smartphones, laptops and tills, as well as any tables and stands you use to run your stall.

  • Business interruption

    Business interruption is important, especially if you rely on other businesses being open to run. If one of your markets or pop-up venues becomes unusable due to an insured event like a fire or flood, and you can't trade there, business interruption will cover the loss of turnover while they're getting back up and running, up to a limit of £50,000.

    Our business interruption cover can insure you if you or one of your key employees becomes seriously disabled and is unable to continue work. We will cover the incurred costs, up to £25,000, to minimise any interruption to the business.

  • Theft of takings

    Market traders often take the bulk of their payments in cash. That's why it's important to have cover for theft of money, whether it's from your premises, your home or while in transit. This includes business takings stolen from you or anyone working for you.

    We cover up to £1,000 of takings at markets and pop-ups, provided the cash is securely locked away when not completing a transaction and not left unattended. You must also keep copies of all receipts issued to your customers.

  • Legal expenses

    This pays the legal costs of providing specialist lawyers and taking action against many common legal problems, for instance disputes with suppliers or clients.

Get a quote
or call us on 0345 605 9168
Get a quote call us on 0345 605 9168

Frequently asked questions

  • Q What type of market traders' stallholders insurance do I need?

    All the covers we offer are useful. However, for market traders, it is particularly important to have public and product liability. This is to ensure you're covered if your products cause harm to any customers, or if you injure someone or cause accidental damage to their property in the course of running your business. For example, if you accidentally bump into another stall and break someone's stock or a customer or a member of the public trips over an unattended box, your stallholder public liability insurance will pay for the damage or injury.

    If your stock gets damaged or stolen at your home, business premises or at a market or fair, you would be left with nothing to sell. Contents and stock cover would pay for the costs of replacing the items so that you can get your business back up and running again.

    When you run a pop-up or stall, you’re dependent on venues to gain access to your customers. If a venue suddenly closes because of an insured event such as fire or flood, business interruption would cover both your loss of earnings for missed days trading and the cost of setting up elsewhere.

  • We only provide annual policies and therefore we don't provide stallholder insurance for one day events. The reason for this is that if someone is injured because of your product, you need to be covered for the day the damage occurred, not just the day of purchase. Our annual public and product liability insurance ensures that you'll be covered if you're faced with unexpected legal costs.

  • Q What pop-up businesses do you cover?

    We can cover your business if your pop-up is:

    • A temporary store-within-a-store
    • A stall within a shopping centre
    • A temporary structure at an event
    • A temporary structure within a shopping area
    • A temporary unit in a shopping centre
    • A short-term rental of a retail unit

    If your business works differently to the options stated above, please enter your information on our online quote tool. You will be referred to one of our specialist business insurance advisors to discuss your particular set up.

  • Q What stalls or pop-ups are not covered by this policy?

    If you operate any of the following types of stall, we will refer you to one of our specialist business advisors:

    • A stall or pop-up on a highway lay-by or on/beside roads open to traffic
    • A stall or pop-up at public transport stations
    • A car boot sale stall
    • A stall or pop-up that operates for more than 30 consecutive days in one location
    • A stall or pop-up run that operates for more than 200 days a year

    We do not cover pop-up restaurants.

  • Q Are there any exceptions to your cover?

    If you do not comply with the manufacturer's instructions and local council guidelines when erecting and securing a temporary structure at a market, festival, fair or event, you will need to be referred to one of our specialist business advisors.

    At Direct Line for Business we believe in the best health & safety practices, so consider it in your and the public's best interests to follow the guidelines provided when erecting structures like gazebos and stalls.

Policy documents

If you have an existing quote or policy with us, you can view and download your policy documents from the My Account page.

We tailor all our policies, so your documents only show what you’ve chosen to cover.

Below is a summary of a generic policy, from 25 October 2020 onwards, which shows the main covers and exclusions in our policies.