Insurance for Wholesalers

Wholesale businesses are companies set up to organize the purchase or sale of goods for resale to other businesses. Wholesalers must navigate a complex and highly competitive supply chain, negotiating directly with manufacturers and importers, and maintaining relationships with their end clients. Wholesalers manage their supply through warehouses and often have a network of sales offices and/or front sales desks.

To be competitive, wholesalers today use cutting-edge technologies and software to manage the omni-channel buying experience, real-time tracking of goods within the supply chain, and order fulfillment within the last-mile delivery. Zurich offers a wide range of solutions that can help protect the unique exposures that a wholesale business could face.

Bill Seleznoff, CPCU
AVP Industry Practice Director, Wholesale, Retail
U.S. Middle Market
Mobile: 949-695-0038
bill.seleznoff@zurichna.com

Learn more

View our resources for insurance solutions for wholesale businesses

Article: Private Label Product Exposures for Wholesalers and Retailers

Podcast: Wholesalers Face New Liability Risks

Why choose insurance from Zurich for a wholesale business?

Zurich understands the potential exposures that a wholesale business face running their operations. We offer an array of products and pre- and post-claim services to help address those exposures:

Core commercial insurance coverages such as Property, General Liability, Inland Marine, Ocean Cargo, Auto, Workers’ Compensation, Management Liability, Cyber and International Insurance
Risk Engineering insights and service that can help reduce the frequency and severity of risk
Exceptional claims handling and customer service

What is commercial insurance for wholesale business?

This is coverage designed to help protect wholesale businesses, their owners and employees against potential risks that could occur during the course of business operations. The term represents an array of property and casualty coverages, such as Owned Property (building, contents, business interruption), Auto Liability and Physical Damage, Workers’ Compensation, and General Liability (premises liability, product liability, personal and advertising injury). The right commercial insurance program can protect wholesalers against the financial impact of risks.

Why is commercial insurance coverage for wholesalers important?

Like all business, wholesalers can face a host of unexpected risks. Fire is still the top cause of property losses, but litigation due to auto accidents has become increasingly more expensive, product liability claims can involve anyone in the chain of commerce, and a worker injury claim can have long-term implication to both employer and employee. Any of these scenarios, and others, can significantly impact a wholesaler’s day-to day-operations and overall operational profitability.

Zurich’s targeted classes for wholesale business

Zurich’s appetite for wholesale businesses includes durable and non-durable goods wholesalers.

Durable goods:

Metals service centers, manufacturing supplies, hardware and fasteners, commercial tooling, electrical equipment and supplies, office equipment and furniture.

Non-durable goods:

Textiles, clothing, shoes, apparel and accessories, paper, packaging supplies, beverages (alcohol and soft drinks)

Insurance solutions for wholesale businesses

Property

Zurich’s broad all-risk Property form addresses exposures wholesale businesses face, including:

Selling price on merchandise and stock
Brands and labels included
Flexible Transit and Unnamed locations limits available
Unintentional Errors or Omissions
Better Green™ - coverage to rebuild to same or higher green standard automatically included via sublimit after a covered loss
Flexible Accounts Receivables, Valuable Papers, Electronic Data Processing Equipment, Media, and Fine Arts limits
Ordinance or law applies to all covered property and time element loss, not just buildings
Equipment breakdown coverage included with no sub-limit
Real property definition does not exclude insured’s interest in underground pipes, flues, drains and foundations of buildings, machinery or boilers

General Liability

Broad Named Insured (includes Partnerships, Joint Ventures, and Limited Liability Companies)
Blanket Additional Insured vendors coverage when required by contract
Automatic Additional Insureds
Leased and temp workers included by definition
Bodily Injury includes mental anguish, mental injury, shock, fright or death

Workers' Compensation

Level and variable dividend options available
Loss sensitive programs available
Pay-as-you-go payroll options

Auto

Broadening coverage endorsement that adds 23 extensions in one form that includes:

Loan/lease gap
Employees as insureds
Fellow employee
Hired car loss of use
Hired auto-worldwide coverage
Waiver of subrogation when required by contract

International

Regionally-based international underwriting teams with expertise in navigating foreign legal, licensing and tax requirements
Exporter solutions
Coverage for domestic companies moving into the global arena
Zurich Envoy®
- Coverage for companies with an established foreign presence
Zurich Travel Assist
- Provides concierge services (e.g., forgotten prescription, lost passport) and facilitation for medical and security needs

Cyber

Wholesalers may do business abroad or are planning to leverage opportunities outside of the U.S. As a leading global insurer, Zurich’s worldwide network of Underwriting, Risk Engineering, Claims and Compliance services — aided by innovative, proprietary digital tools — can help your business build a robust global risk-management program.