Improving Substitutions in Online Ordering

“I ordered raspberries. They send me cauliflowers.” That’s how a Californian shopper described their online grocery experience buying groceries from Walmart using the Instacart app. Our fieldwork has revealed similar mishaps. These mismatched substitutions have become a symbol of a deeper problem—one that quietly erodes profitability, damages customer trust, and impedes the growth of online ordering in retail.