Which? found 29% of online grocery shoppers said they received a substitution in their most recent order, with some stating that they had received some unexpected replacements over the last year
Supermarket shoppers have reported receiving some unusual substitutions in their online orders, with fish steaks replacing cupcakes and sanitary towels swapped for sandwich wraps.
A survey by Which? revealed that 29% of online grocery shoppers received a substitution in their most recent order, with some unexpected replacements over the past year.
Almost half of Asda customers received a replacement product in their last order, rating the supermarket just two stars out of five for its choice of substitute items. One customer was given bananas instead of pizza, another found a roasting tin instead of roast potatoes, and a third received micellar water facial cleanser instead of drinking water.
The poll also showed that a third of Sainsbury’s customers (32%) found a substitution in their latest shop, although they generally rated the selections three stars, suggesting they were well-received. Some of the more unusual examples reported to Which? included beef dog treats instead of beef steaks and leeks instead of flowers.
Among the 31% of Morrisons customers who received replacement items, one found sanitary towels instead of sandwich wraps and another received fish steaks instead of lemon cupcakes.
A Morrisons spokesperson said: “We have reviewed all of the online substitutions for the last 800 days as they all have to be logged and we have no record of the ones Which? is claiming. So it sounds to us like it could be an urban myth.”
Other reports surfacing include instances where Amazon Fresh customers found peculiar replacements in their orders, with one customer reportedly receiving six bags of jelly sweets when they had ordered free-range eggs.
The quarter of online Tesco shoppers who received replacement items awarded the UK’s biggest supermarket three stars for its selection creativity, with one finding orange-flavour vitamins instead of a Terry’s Chocolate Orange and another finding they had bought cat food in place of ham.
While some customers took the swaps with a sense of humour, Which? also disclosed complaints from several customers about receiving meat or dairy when they’d opted for vegetarian or vegan alternatives—one received regular cheese instead of lactose-free, and another was given a gluten-containing product despite asking for a gluten-free option. Generally, supermarkets aim to replace items based on factors such as brand similarity, price, and availability, trying to match the original order as closely as possible.
Nonetheless, Which?’s findings suggest that the automated replacement systems may sometimes miss the mark.
Some supermarkets allow customers to opt out of receiving replacement items altogether but most will notify customers about substitutions beforehand via email or text and allow them to refuse the new item if they do not want it.
All the supermarkets in Which?’s survey allow customers to hand back unwanted substitutions to the delivery driver, or when they pick up a click and collect, and receive a refund.
Which? Money and Retail editor Reena Sewraz said; “While some product substitutions in your online food delivery can be welcome, our research has shown that they can also be well wide of the mark – ranging from strange to completely inappropriate.”
“If you receive a replacement that you don’t want, you can reject it on arrival or you sometimes can opt out of receiving substitutions altogether, although your dinner plans could be disrupted if key ingredients don’t show up.”
“If you do end up with something you won’t use, always contact the supermarket and ask for a refund.”
An Asda spokesman said: “We always let our customers know when their order contains a substitution and customers are able to opt out of receiving any at all.
“Our own data shows the vast majority of substitute items are accepted, and overall customer satisfaction is high, so we have asked Which? to provide us with the details of these orders so that we can investigate what may have happened in these instances.”
Sainsbury’s said: “We want our customers to have the best possible experience when they shop with us.
“If a product a customer has chosen for their groceries online order is no longer available, our colleagues are trained to pick an alternative that’s as close as possible to the original item.
“We’re sorry that on the rare occasion this might not be quite right, our customer satisfaction scores tell us that our substitutions have improved over the last few years.”
