Roughly a quarter of the businesses surveyed (24%) have launched a new delivery service during the lockdown, with restaurants/bars (59%) found to be the types of businesses most likely to begin offering this type of service, followed by retail businesses (18%).

Two thirds (65%) of those businesses that have begun offering deliveries indicated that they were using vans to fulfil their orders, while the remainder used other means, including personal transport (35%).

Asked whether they would continue offering a delivery service once they were able to reopen fully, more than half (56%) revealed that they intended to continue.

However, Quotezone.co.uk’s research also revealed that less than one in five (19%) of the businesses that have begun couriering goods to their customers had taken out courier insurance to protect themselves from the financial impact of potential losses, damage or theft.

Commenting on the study, Greg Wilson, Founder of Quotezone.co.uk, said: “The global pandemic and the resulting lockdown are regularly described as unprecedented, so it should come as no surprise that an unprecedented number of small businesses are having to pivot in order to survive, including launching their own delivery services.

“However, even if a small business’s van insurance or car insurance policy includes ‘business use’ under its class of use, that alone usually doesn’t cover the business to provide a delivery service.

“That’s why it’s worrying that just 19% of those businesses that have launched a delivery service during the lockdown have taken out a dedicated courier insurance policy, because this type of policy is vital to protect the financial interests of any business that delivers goods to customers.”