Every failed delivery eats into already thin margins. And in a world where the last mile shapes the customer experience, you can’t afford to keep absorbing those hits.
Yet too many retailers are still relying on courier liability cover—the basic protection bundled into shipping costs—as if it were designed to safeguard their business. It wasn’t. It’s there to protect the courier. And the gap between what you think is covered and what actually gets reimbursed is costing retailers millions.
Here’s why it matters for your business.
The Last-Mile Challenge
The last mile is your most fragile mile. It’s also where failures spike:
Lost Deliveries: In 2024, UK consumers reported nearly 14 million delivery issues every month (Citizens Advice).
Damaged Packages: Parcels are dropped or mishandled an average of 15–20 times in transit. Large items like furniture have a 20%+ chance of damage, while even small electronics see failure rates around 10% depending on the carrier.
For retailers, that translates directly into refunds, replacements, churn, and revenue leakage. Worse, customers don’t blame the courier—they blame you.
The Insurance Gap
Despite these risks, 90% of goods in transit remain underinsured or uninsured.
Why? Because many retailers mistakenly believe courier liability has them covered.
What Courier Liability Really Covers
Courier liability is:
Unregulated – it’s not true insurance, it’s a commercial promise.
Low value – often capped at £10–£50 per shipment.
Strictly limited – excludes weather, “inadequate packaging,” and most common causes of loss.
Hard to claim – requires you to prove negligence, file within short windows (often 14 days), and then wait up to 120 days for resolution.
The result? A claims success rate of just 15% across the courier industry.
Anansi Coverage vs. Carrier Liability
Anansi leverages insurance, automation and data to change how retailers can reduce the cost of lost and damaged parcels. Instead of covering the cost and more we take responsibility for lost and damaged parcels paying out 100% of valid claims.
Courier Liability | Anansi | |
|---|---|---|
Coverage | Incomplete coverage | Full Coverage Independent Loss & Damage and even Delayed parcels. |
Regulation | Unregulated solutions. | FCA regulated |
Cover Value | £10-£15 per parcel | Up to the rull retail value. |
Success Rate | ~15% | 100% of valid claims paid |
Pricing | Going direct to a courier, or using a broker, costs an average of 5-10% per item. | We work on finding you the right pricing for your unique situation. |
Claims Filing | Manual, courier by courier | Touchless, hassle-free claims are triggered when predefined time thresholds are met. |
Payouts | Months (up to 120 days) or being stuck with a credit note. | Weekly or monthly via open banking directly into the policyholder’s business bank account. |
Impact on teams | Manual workload, wasted hours. | >60% reduction in admin freeing team for higher-value work. |
Cash Flow | Delayed, unpredictable. Credit notes. | Predicatable, resilient cash flow. |
With Anansi you also get:
Choice of full retail value cover or cost coverage (50% of retail).
A rate designed just for you that improves over time.
Insights into fraud, courier SLA performance, and recurring delivery issues, so you can prevent losses before they happen
Why It Matters
Every courier error, every manual claim, every unclaimed loss is a silent drain on EBITDA.
Retailers are waking up to the fact that risk is no longer just financial, it’s operational, reputational, and strategic.
Anansi closes that gap by:
Recovering revenue – no more write-offs - we bring you closer to zero.
Releasing teams – automation cuts wasted admin hours.
Protecting loyalty – fast, fair claims keep customers onside.
Building resilience – one platform that unites cover, control, and clarity.
Final Word
Retailers no longer need to choose between absorbing losses or fighting uphill battles with couriers. With Anansi, you replace chaos with clarity, protect your profit, and give customers the confidence that delivery is handled. No excuses.
Please feel free to book a call to discuss how we can help make your last-mile more resilient.
