Wholesale businesses rarely operate in exactly the same way. The stock they hold, how it is stored, the way it moves through the business and the consequences of an interruption can vary considerably from one operation to another.
That’s why Jensten Underwriting is highlighting three wholesale sectors within its Commercial Combined proposition: electrical goods, mechanical goods and food wholesalers.
ELECTRICAL GOODS WHOLESALERS
Electrical goods wholesalers sit at an awkward point for a lot of markets — high stock values, fast-moving lines and a mix of low-risk and higher-risk product all under one roof. We like this trade. It’s broadly well-managed, security-conscious by necessity, and the businesses in it understand risk because they have to. Jensten actively wants electrical wholesale business and underwrites it on its own risk profile, not a blanket sector rule.
What’s in Appetite
- Consumer electronics distributors (TVs, audio, small domestic appliances)
- White goods and major domestic appliance wholesalers
- Lighting wholesalers — fittings, LED components, commercial and domestic ranges
- Cabling, wiring accessories and electrical installation materials
- Electrical wholesalers supplying trade counters and retailers
- Import/export operations for electrical goods, including bonded or part-bonded stock
- Businesses combining warehousing with light assembly, kitting or testing of goods (not manufacture)
- Multi-site distribution operations, including regional depots feeding a central warehouse
- Online/e-commerce electrical wholesalers alongside traditional trade supply
- Sole traders and micro-businesses under £500k turnover
Declined / Referred Risks
- Chemicals, pharmaceutical or hazardous goods wholesalers
- Grade I listed buildings
- Bulk lithium battery or e-bike/e-scooter battery storage as a primary activity — refer to underwriters
- High-value goods stored without any monitored intruder alarm or CCTV — refer to underwriters
Cover Highlights
- Material Damage — available standalone
- Business Interruption — available alongside Material Damage
- Legal Expenses included
- Up to £10 million combined Material Damage/Business Interruption sum insured per location
- Minimum premium £750
- Cover built around how the business actually operates, not a rigid sector template
Capacity & Limits
- Standard per-location capacity: up to £10 million combined Material Damage / Business Interruption
- Seasonal stock uplift – 25% Nov/Dec & 1-14 Jan (e.g. pre-Christmas stock builds)
- No sub-limit for theft/security for high-value electrical stock
- Goods in transit – £50,000 maximum single article
How to submit a quote for Electrical Goods Wholesalers
In order to obtain a new quotation, please email:
bespoke.quotes@jensten.co.uk
Including:
- Current stock values (average and peak/seasonal, if they vary materially)
- Storage and security arrangements (alarm grade, CCTV, fire protection, racking/segregation of high-value lines)
- Claims history (last 3–5 years)
- Trading history and years established
- Basic property details (construction, age, number of locations)
We aim to come back with a clear steer quickly — if it’s a fit, we’ll say so, and if we need more information, we’ll tell you exactly what.
MECHANICAL GOODS WHOLESALERS
Mechanical goods wholesale — tools, machinery parts, plumbing and heating supplies, automotive components, industrial hardware — tends to mean heavier stock, higher weight-to-value ratios in places, and a genuine mix of low and higher-value lines under one roof. It’s a trade we understand and want on our book: generally well-organised, often with long-established trading relationships, and a good fit for a Commercial Combined product built around real capacity rather than restrictive sub-limits.
What’s in Appetite
- Tool and hand tool wholesalers (power tools, workshop equipment)
- Plumbing and heating supplies distributors
- Automotive parts and accessories wholesalers (non-safety-critical components)
- Industrial hardware, fixings and fasteners wholesalers
- Machinery and machine parts distributors
- Agricultural and construction equipment parts wholesalers
- Bearings, hydraulics and mechanical components distributors
- Businesses combining distribution with minor kitting, packaging or light reconditioning (not manufacture)
- Trade counter operations and multi-site depot networks
- Sole traders and micro-businesses under £500k turnover
Declined / Referred Risks
- Chemicals, pharmaceutical or hazardous goods wholesalers
- Grade I listed buildings
- Wholesalers of safety-critical automotive components – refer to underwriters
- Storage or handling of compressed gas cylinders as a primary activity — refer to underwriters
- Sites with significant open-yard storage of heavy stock without adequate security/fencing — refer to underwriters
Cover Highlights
- Material Damage – available standalone
- Business Interruption – available alongside Material Damage
- Legal Expenses included
- Up to £10 million combined Material Damage/Business Interruption sum insured per location
- Minimum premium £750
- Cover shaped around how goods are actually stored and moved, not a one-size sector template
Capacity & Limits
- Standard per-location capacity: up to £10 million combined Material Damage/Business Interruption
- Stock in the open – £200,000 sub-limit
- Goods in transit for larger machinery/plant items: £50,000 maximum single article
How to submit a quote for Mechanical Goods Wholesalers
In order to obtain a new quotation, please email:
bespoke.quotes@jensten.co.uk
Including:
- Current stock values, including any high-value machinery or plant lines
- Storage arrangements (indoor/outdoor split, racking, security, fire protection)
- Claims history (last 3–5 years)
- Trading history and years established
- Basic property details (construction, age, number of locations)
We aim to come back with a clear steer quickly — if it’s a fit, we’ll say so, and if we need more information, we’ll tell you exactly what.
FOOD WHOLESALERS
Food wholesale is a trade with real operational discipline built in — cold chain management, stock rotation, hygiene standards and traceability are already part of daily business for most operators. That discipline is exactly what makes it a trade we want to underwrite. Combine that with the fact that a single refrigeration failure or supply disruption can hit a food wholesaler harder than most, and it’s a trade where genuine Business Interruption cover matters — which is exactly what we’re built to provide.
What’s in Appetite
- Ambient/dry goods food wholesalers
- Chilled and frozen food distributors, including cold storage operations
- Fresh produce wholesalers (fruit, vegetables)
- Meat, poultry and fish wholesalers (excluding on-site slaughter/processing beyond basic packing)
- Drinks and beverage wholesalers (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
- Catering supplies and foodservice wholesalers
- Multi-temperature distribution operations (ambient, chilled and frozen under one roof)
- Own-fleet delivery operations supplying retail, hospitality and foodservice customers
- Import/export food distribution, including bonded storage where applicable
- Sole traders and micro-businesses under £500k turnover
Declined / Referred Risks
- Chemicals, pharmaceutical or hazardous goods wholesalers
- Grade I listed buildings
- Sites without adequate temperature-monitoring/alarm systems on cold storage — refer to underwriters
- Sites with a poor food hygiene rating or unresolved enforcement action — refer to underwriters
Cover Highlights
- Material Damage — available standalone
- Business Interruption — available alongside Material Damage, including cover that reflects the impact of refrigeration/plant breakdown on stock and trading
- Legal Expenses included
- Up to £10 million combined Material Damage / Business Interruption sum insured per location
- Minimum premium £750
- Cover built around real cold chain and stock rotation risk, not a generic wholesale template
Capacity & Limits
- Standard per-location capacity: up to £10 million combined Material Damage / Business Interruption
- Deterioration of stock / refrigeration breakdown £20,000 sub-limit (higher limits on referral)
- Seasonal stock uplift 25% Nov/Dec & 01-14 Jan (e.g. pre-Christmas stock builds)
How to submit a quote for Food Wholesalers
In order to obtain a new quotation, please email:
bespoke.quotes@jensten.co.uk
Including:
- Current stock values, split by ambient/chilled/frozen if applicable
- Cold storage and temperature-monitoring arrangements
- Claims history (last 3–5 years), including any refrigeration breakdown or stock deterioration claims
- Trading history and years established
- Basic property details (construction, age, number of locations)
We aim to come back with a clear steer quickly — if it’s a fit, we’ll say so, and if we need more information, we’ll tell you exactly what.
