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UK Commercial Insurance Distribution 2025

Publisher GlobalData
Published Aug 27, 2025
Length 39 Pages
SKU # GBDT20394312

Description

UK Commercial Insurance Distribution 2025

Summary

This report discusses the distribution landscape of UK commercial insurance. Each channel is discussed in turn, with a particular focus on the broker channel which dominates the space. Analysis of responses to our 2025 UK Commercial Insurance Broker Survey brings insight into brokers’ growth and digital transformation strategies going forward. The SME market is discussed, with due consideration given to smaller businesses and their relatively-simple insurance needs. The report finishes with an outlook on the future of the distribution landscape, mentioning areas for brokers to develop, growth opportunities, and emerging technologies in the space.

Brokers held an 83.5% share of the UK commercial insurance market in 2024e; highlighting their dominance of the distribution landscape. This represented a slight increase from the 83.2% market share they commanded in 2023. Additionally, GlobalData expects the direct channel to have increased its share of commercial insurance distribution from 7.5% in 2022 to 8.5% in 2024e, in part driven by technological advancements that enhance the online purchasing experience. While GlobalData forecasts that brokers will continue to dominate the commercial insurance landscape, we expect them to lose some of their share over the forecast period. Meanwhile, the direct channel is expected to increase its share of distribution over the forecast period.

Scope
  • In 2024e, brokers wrote 83.5% of commercial insurance premiums, up 0.3 percentage points from 83.2% in 2023. Meanwhile, the direct channel accounted for 8.5% of commercial insurance in 2024e.
  • The SME space is more competitive, with many micro and small-sized businesses utilizing the direct channel, as well as price comparison websites.
  • Howden overtook Marsh as the leading broker in the UK commercial insurance market; increasing its revenue by 50.7% from 2023 to 2024.
Reasons to Buy
  • Identify the most-frequently-used channels to purchase commercial insurance.
  • Adapt your distribution strategy to cater to the changing needs of clients and intermediaries.
  • Learn how market leaders have strategized to achieve their success.
  • Understand the trends and themes set to transform the market in the future.

Table of Contents

39 Pages
Executive Summary
Market overview
Key findings
Critical success factors
Commercial Insurance Distribution Overview
Brokers continue to dominate
The Broker Channel
The broker landscape is dominated by global firms
Brokers are increasingly adopting growth strategies amid increasing competition
Brokers are increasingly adopting new service features
Brokers are worried about the macroeconomic climate
Other Commercial Distribution Channels
The direct channel is an important distribution channel for commercial insurance
The banking channel is more popular among SMEs
The Distribution Landscape Going Forward
The direct channel is set to grow over the forecast period
Commercial insurance distribution going forward
Appendix
Abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms
Definitions
Methodology
Secondary sources
Further reading
About GlobalData
Contact Us
List of Tables
Table 1: Growth strategies utilized by UK brokers, 2025
Table 2: Top 10 biggest threats to brokers, 2025
Table 3: Selected banks and their insurance provider partner(s), 2025
List of Figures
Figure 1: Brokers expected to increase their dominance within commercial insurance, 2020–24f
Figure 2: There is more competition within the SME space
Figure 3: Online distribution methods are becoming increasingly favoured among SMEs
Figure 4: Howden becomes largest broker in the UK
Figure 5: Brokers are increasingly improving their marketing activity and web presence
Figure 6: Brokers are increasingly adopting new service features
Figure 7: Despite being less inclined to embrace new service features, provincial brokers are progressively integrating them into their offerings
Figure 8: Regional brokers are increasingly adopting new service features
Figure 9: National brokers embrace additional service features more readily than their smaller counterparts
Figure 10: Despite being the most worried, national brokers believe they will gain more business due to the macroeconomic climate
Figure 11: Brokers suggest the volume of commercial GWP increased in 2024
Figure 12: The direct channel is expected to grow over the forecast period
Figure 13: Over a quarter of SMEs are currently using an insurance app to manage their policies
Figure 14: Brokers believe that insurance has the most growth potential among all emerging products
Figure 15: SMEs are increasingly becoming comfortable with interacting with an AI-powered chatbot
Figure 16: SMEs believe that AI tools are quicker and more accurate than humans
Figure 17: Commercial distributors must overcome the concerns of AI tools
Figure 18: Brokers believe that cyber insurance has the most growth potential among all emerging products

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