Grocery Delivery Substitution Fairness & Satisfaction Survey

Welcome! This brief survey asks about your experiences with grocery delivery substitutions. There are no right or wrong answers—we're interested in your honest opinions. Your participation is voluntary and you may stop at any time. All responses are anonymous and will be reported only in aggregate to improve substitution policies and customer experience. The survey takes about 9 minutes.

In the past 3 months, have you received a grocery delivery order where at least one item was substituted with a different product?

• Yes
• No
• I'm not sure

In the past 3 months, approximately how many of your grocery delivery orders included at least one substitution?

• 1–2 orders
• 3–5 orders
• 6–10 orders
• More than 10 orders

Which product categories have included substitutions in your recent orders? Select all that apply.

• Fresh produce
• Dairy and eggs
• Meat and seafood
• Pantry staples (e.g., rice, pasta, canned goods)
• Beverages
• Frozen foods
• Bakery
• Household/cleaning
• Personal care/health
• Don't recall

Overall, how satisfied are you with the substitutions you typically receive?

Thinking about your recent orders, how fair did the substitutions feel to you?

How likely are you to continue using grocery delivery services given your substitution experiences?

When a substitution is made, rank the following factors by how important they are to you (1 = most important).

1. Price match or credit for price differences
2. Quality or brand equivalence
3. Size or quantity equivalence
4. Ability to opt out of substitutions beforehand
5. Speed and clarity of communication
6. Trust in the shopper's judgment

How do you prefer to be contacted about substitutions while your order is being shopped? Select all that apply.

• In-app chat
• SMS text
• Phone call
• Push notification only
• No contact—use my pre-approved substitution rules
• Other (please specify)

Before today, how familiar were you with your primary grocery delivery retailer's substitution policy?

• Very familiar
• Somewhat familiar
• Not very familiar
• Not at all familiar

If a substitution is worse than the original item, rank the following compensation options by preference (1 = most preferred).

1. Immediate refund or credit to my account
2. Future discount on a later order
3. Delivery fee waiver or credit
4. Tip adjustment (reduce or refund)
5. No compensation needed

Please briefly describe a substitution experience that felt unfair to you and why (optional).

We'd like to learn a bit more about your substitution experiences. An AI moderator will ask you a couple of follow-up questions.

Based on your responses in this survey, is there anything else you'd like to share about grocery delivery substitutions, communication, or compensation? (optional)

Which grocery delivery service do you use most often?

• Instacart
• Amazon Fresh / Whole Foods
• Walmart Grocery
• Shipt
• DoorDash (grocery)
• Uber Eats (grocery)
• FreshDirect
• Other
• Prefer not to say

What is your age?

• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65+
• Prefer not to say

Which of the following best describes your gender?

• Woman
• Man
• Non-binary
• Prefer to self-describe
• Prefer not to say

Where do you currently live?

• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Australia
• European Union
• Other

Thank you for completing this survey! Your feedback will help improve how grocery delivery services handle substitutions, communication, and compensation.