Consumer organisation Which? has revealed which supermarkets in the UK make the most – and strangest – substitutions through their online grocery shopping service. According to the survey, which asked between October and November 2024 1,062 members of the public solely or jointly responsible for grocery shopping in their household about the experience of their recent online shop, Asda shoppers were the most likely to receive a replacement product, affecting 47% of consumers. 

The supermarket was also given a two out of five stars for its choices, with one customer having been surprised to receive a facial cleanser, micellar water, in place of drinking water. Another shopper said they received a roasting tin instead of roast potatoes, and third got bananas instead of pizza. Asda noted that customers are always made aware of substitutions so they can opt-out. It also reported their own data shows the vast majority of substitutes are accepted, and overall customer satisfaction is high, and it has asked Which? for details. 

An Asda spokesperson told Which?: “We always do our best to ensure that the customer receives a relevant sub if an item is missing, and we have colleagues to ensure that the best substitutions are being made. We don’t charge more for substitutes, even where the item has a higher value, and where the replacement item is of less value we refund the difference to the customer.”

Nearly a third (32%) of Sainsbury’s customers said they had received a substitution, and its replacements fared slightly higher, earning three out of five stars. However, one bizarre example included beef dog treats instead of beef steaks.

With 31% was Morrison’s, although it arguably had one of the most bizarre swaps, with one customer reporting they received sanitary towels instead of sandwich wraps, and fish steaks in place of lemon cupcakes. The retailer scored two out of five stars for its choices.

A quarter of online Tesco shoppers received substitutes, however satisfaction was slightly higher with three out of five stars. Although one disappointed customer reported getting orange-flavour vitamins instead of a Terry’s Chocolate Orange, while another said to have ordered ham but received cat food.

One in four (24%) Iceland customers received a replacement and it got a two-star rating for its choices, with one customer reporting getting a 24-pack of Pepsi Mango instead of pasta, and oranges instead of ham.

Waitrose and Ocado came out with the least reported substitutions, with 21% and 19% respectively.

Reena Sewraz, Which? Money and Retail Editor, said: “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.”

The survey found three in 10 (29%) of all respondents reported a substitution in their most recent grocery order.