The Retail Mutual is dedicated to providing an alternative to insurance products and services for the independent retail community and other independent businesses. We exist to help give you peace of mind and are passionate about protecting the independent retail businesses on our high streets. We began life in 1999 as The NFRN Mutual providing cover to independent news retailers and have been proudly supporting our Members for over 25 years.
Protecting our independent retailers
A Discretionary Mutual
To us, you are not just another customer. When you take out cover with us you become a Member of The Retail Mutual. We are owned by our Members, not shareholders, and our Members are the reason we exist.
Your contribution is used to pay claims and the running costs of the Mutual. All our Members are help to protect each other.
The Retail Mutual is not an insurance company and its products are not insurance policies. The cover we offer is discretionary, which means that all claims decisions are made at the discretion of our Board of Directors. It also means that we may be able to agree claims which are not included in the terms of the Cover Wording, and which may even be expressly excluded.
If you disagree with the decision on your claim, you have the right to ask the Claims Committee to review the decision.
Our Approach To Claims Handling
The Mutual has an approach to Claims that focuses on what the Membership would consider a fair result, rather than trying to minimise claims payments to maximise profits for shareholders. The Mutual also operates an Appeals process so that if a Member is not happy with the outcome of their Claim, they can have the Mutual’s decision reviewed by a Committee of the Board. The Claims Committee’s Membership consists of Directors with current and extensive experience of being a retailer to ensure the circumstances are considered with the utmost empathy and understanding – a very different approach to a shareholder-owned insurance company.
The Retail Mutual is managed by InShare Limited. InShare manages a broad range of unique SMART Structures, including Risk Retention and Risk Sharing vehicles.