Sainsbury’s has lost nearly £1.5 million of sales after an IT glitch forced the supermarket chain to suspend its grocery home shopping service for two days.

More than 20,000 customers were left scrabbling to find delivery slots with one of Sainsbury’s high street rivals after the company cancelled all deliveries and back-office staff battled to bring the site back online.

The problem emerged on Wednesday morning, just as Justin King, Sainsbury’s chief executive, was boasting in the City about success in increasing online sales.

Customers logging on to the company’s website yesterday were confronted with a “we’re sorry” message, next to a picture of a bunch of lemons. A spokeswoman promised that deliveries would restart tomorrow. Thousands of shoppers who failed to have their orders delivered have received a voucher for £10 to spend on their next online order.

Jane Raca, a mother of three from Edgbaston, said her order for £130 of groceries was lost after the company’s website crashed. “It’s so exasperating, I’m a busy mum, I’d sorted my week out, planned my menus and then my shop vanishes,” she said.

Sainsbury’s rivals have been eager to cash in on its misfortune. Ocado reported last night that orders had risen by 17 per cent in two days. Tesco and Asda have also increased their online orders.

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