Strawberries instead of bin liners: poll reveals strange supermarket delivery substitutions

Dog chews instead of chicken breasts? Strawberries in place of bin liners? These are just some of the strangest supermarket substitutions, according to a poll.

Almost half of supermarket deliveries (47%) included a substitute item over the past 12 months, the survey for the consumer group Which? found.

More than six out of 10 Asda customers (62%) reported receiving a substitution in their most recent shop, with one receiving dog chews instead of chicken breasts. Another bewildered shopper received a pack of toilet rolls instead of bread rolls.

Of Aldi customers, 59% received unexpected items, one including a bag of onions instead of a loaf of bread.

Half of customers who had ordered online at Sainsbury’s (52%) told Which? they had received a substitution, including shoe polish instead of fruit, and bacon rather than barbecue-flavoured crisps.

Among the 51% of Morrisons shoppers who received substitutions was one who received meat sausages instead of veggie burgers, and another who received a toothbrush instead of apples.

More than four in 10 Tesco shoppers (44%) reported substitutions such as an Easter egg in place of hotdog rolls and a chocolate Santa instead of a roll of tinfoil.

One Iceland shopper told Which? they had received strawberries instead of bin bags.

Waitrose customers were the least likely to receive a substitution, at 24%, although one was sorry to receive an alcohol-free bottle of wine in place of a standard bottle.

Customers with special dietary requirements fared particularly badly with substitutions at a number of supermarkets, with many complaining about receiving meat or dairy instead of vegetarian or vegan alternatives.

One shopper, whose partner has coeliac disease, had their gluten-free product substituted with a product containing wheat.

The Which? retail editor, Reena Sewraz, said: “Product substitutions can be incredibly frustrating, especially if the key ingredient for your dinner is missing. Our research has shown that some replacements can also be downright ridiculous.

“You have the right to reject substitutions at the point of delivery, or you could opt out of receiving substitutions altogether. If you do end up with a substitution that you don’t want, always contact the supermarket and ask for a refund.”

Deltapoll surveyed 3,007 UK adults online in October, gathering information on 1,260 online supermarket shopping experiences.