Strawberries instead of bin liners: poll reveals strangest supermarket delivery replacement

Dog chews instead of chicken breast? Strawberries in place of bin liners? These are some of the weirdest supermarket choices, according to a survey.

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

More than six in 10 Asda customers (62%) reported receiving a replacement in their most recent shop that contained dog chews instead of chicken breasts. Another upset shopper received a packet of toilet rolls instead of bread rolls.

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

Whom did half (52%) of customers ordering online at Sainsbury’s tell? He had found a replacement, which included bacon instead of shoe polish and barbecue-flavored crisps instead of fruit.

Of the 51% of Morrisons shoppers who received replacements, one received a meat sausage instead of a veggie burger, and another received a toothbrush instead of an apple.

More than four in 10 Tesco shoppers (44%) reported substitutions such as Easter eggs in place of hotdog rolls and chocolate Santas instead of rolls of tinfoil.

To whom did an Icelandic shopkeeper tell? They got strawberries instead of bin bags.

Waitrose customers were at least 24% more likely to receive a replacement, though were sorry to receive a bottle of champagne in place of a standard bottle.

Customers with special dietary needs fared particularly poorly with substitutions in many supermarkets, with many complaining of receiving meat or dairy instead of vegetarian or vegan options.

A shopper whose partner has celiac disease had replaced her gluten-free product with a wheat-containing product.

Which one? Retail editor, Reena Sevaraj, said: “Product substitutions can be incredibly frustrating, especially if a key ingredient is missing from your dinner. Our research has shown that some substitutions can even be downright ridiculous.

“You have the right to decline a replacement at the point of delivery, or you can opt out of receiving a replacement entirely. If you end up with a replacement you don’t want, always contact the supermarket and ask for a refund.

Deltapoll conducted an online survey of 3,007 UK adults in October, collecting information on 1,260 online supermarket shopping experiences.

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