Homeserve and M&S team up for insurance venture

HomeserveHomeserve GB, the home emergency call-out and insurance business, has teamed up with Marks & Spencer to offer consumers a branded holiday insurance product.

The deal marks the first of a range of tie-ups planned with household brand names as the business aims to build its customer base and boost awareness.

The product, called Holiday Homesafe, offers customers insurance cover on their home while they are on holiday and it will be sold through M&S stores. Homeserve will also sell the product directly under its own brand name.

Homeserve provides insurance and repair services across the UK and works with major utility suppliers to offer domestic cover. Last year it hired former BSkyB chief operating officer Jon Florsheim as chief executive and has since embarked on an aggressive growth strategy and brand awareness drive, appointing its first agency roster as part of plans to boost brand awareness last month (MW August 30).

Claims made under the M&S product will be managed by Homeserve’s 1,000 directly employed engineers and a large network of subcontract engineers. Last year, the company says it dealt with 1.2 million claims.

Last month Homeserve announced a deal with npower, which saw the RWE-owned utility acquire Homeserve Heating Services (formerly Servowarm) and allow it to expand its central heating installation and boiler servicing business in a bid to challenge British Gas.