Online grocery shoppers have revealed some of the strangest substitutions supermarkets have sent them for unavailable items, including a potato for chicken, toilet cleaner for lemon juice, and moisturiser for burgers.
An annual survey by consumer group Which? of over 3,500 online grocery shoppers revealed that around one in five (20 per cent) received a substitution in their last order, with some recounting the unexpected replacements they received over the past year.
Sainsbury’s shoppers appear particularly affected, with 28 per cent reporting substitutions in their latest orders. Responding to the survey, one shopper reported that sanitary products had been replaced with condoms. In another case, a potato was sent in place of a chicken.
Responding, the supermarket said: “If an item isn’t available, we’ll work to offer an alternative and where this isn't suitable, customers can decline any substitute they don’t want.
“We really appreciate it when customers flag these rare cases so we can follow up with additional coaching for our colleagues to reduce instances of this happening.”
The supermarket making the second most replacements was Asda, at a quarter (25 per cent). These included swaps like raisins for radishes, cheese instead of butter and banana-flavoured milk instead of bananas.
A similar proportion (24 per cent) of Tesco customers reported receiving substitute items in their deliveries. Some notable swaps included chicken crisps instead of chicken wings, turnips instead of chicken breasts, and Cif lemon toilet cleaner instead of Jif lemon juice.
Next in the list was Amazon Fresh (20 per cent), Morrisons (19 per cent), Waitrose (19 per cent) and Iceland (16 per cent).
Online orders were estimated to make up around 13 per cent of all UK grocery sales in February, reaching the highest point since 2021, when some Covid restrictions were still in place. Over 18 million orders were placed in the four weeks to the begnning of March, as millions of households opt for the at-home shopping method.
Reena Sewraz, Which? retail editor, said: “While some product substitutions in your online food delivery are better than nothing, 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 can sometimes opt out of receiving substitutions altogether.”
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Tesco said they were unable to investigate the individual cases shared by Which? without the customer information. A spokesperson added: “We work hard to deliver a great shopping experience for all of our Click + Collect and Grocery Home Shopping delivery customers, with the vast majority of our online orders fulfilled exactly as ordered.
“If a customer is not happy with the product, they can hand it back for a full refund.”
An Asda spokesperson told Which?: “We never charge more for a substitute even if the replacement item is of higher value and if it costs less, we will refund the difference.
A Morrisons spokesperson said: “We always notify our customers about any substitutions included in their online order through the email address linked to their account. Our colleagues will also point out any substitutions when delivering the shopping. Customers are welcome to reject these at the doorstep to receive a full refund.
All said that colleagues always try to select the most suitable alternative product, if they have not opted out of receiving substitutions.
Amazon Fresh said that customers are able to opt out or select a preferred substitution, and can receive a full refund for incorrect or unwanted swaps.
Waitrose and Iceland were approached for comment.
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