Secret Shopper: F&F finally goes back online as Tesco nails the fashion but fumbles the website experience

Anyone who knows me in real life, the person behind RTIH’s Secret Shopper alias, knows I am unapologetically obsessed with F&F at Tesco.

Their clothing range has come into its own over the past year or so, quietly stepping up its game and becoming one of the most stylish high street offerings out there. And while you used to have to wade through supermarket aisles to get your hands on a blazer or linen co-ord, everything changed this week. That’s right: F&F is finally back online.

I’ve been championing this moment for ages. The clothes have that polished, Zara inspired vibe but with Tesco price points. There’s clearly been a strategic push behind this elevation, likely thanks to their 2022 Group Managing Director for Home and Clothing hire - Katja Ahola Klamkin. And while F&F was available online many moons ago, it disappeared from digital shelves and remained in-store only for years, until now.

Naturally, as your loyal retail scout, I cleared my schedule, fired up my laptop, and hit the site on day one. But while the launch was exciting, the experience wasn’t all smooth sailing. As much as I love F&F, I’m here to give you the good, the bad, and the glitchy.

The Good: range, style, and that signature F&F look

Let’s start with the positives, because they do exist in abundance. The clothing range itself is fantastic. It mirrors what we’ve come to love in-store, those items you scroll past on TikTok or see styled beautifully in glossy Instagram reels. You know the ones. They’re always the pieces you rush to find in your local branch, only to be told your size is long gone or the item never made it to that store.

Online, those elusive pieces are now accessible. You can browse them, see what sizes are available, and, joy of joys, buy them without the trolley-dodging drama of a Tesco aisle. Items are clearly labelled and well-organised. There’s a co-ords section, trending edits, and basics, all the things you’d expect from a well-curated online collection. It’s also seamlessly integrated into the wider Tesco site, which means you can use your usual login, collect Clubcard points, and handle your Tesco grocery and fashion hauls all in one place. Very convenient.

From a styling point of view, the site is on point. The way the outfits are photographed and displayed is bang on trend. There’s real attention to detail in how the garments are shown, Zara, but more wearable, and crucially, more affordable. For product quality, pricing, and styling, F&F gets a full five out of five from me.

The bad: Where to start with the website?

But now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty, and this is where the sparkle starts to fade.

For a brand that’s been working on reintroducing online shopping for some time, the website is shockingly basic. It functions, yes, but it doesn’t feel like a modern e-commerce site. There’s none of the polish you’d find on competitors like Tu at Sainsbury’s or even George at Asda. It’s the kind of experience that works just enough to keep you browsing, but lacks any of the clever, shopper friendly touches that make online fashion enjoyable.

Here’s one example. I spotted a lovely pair of white shorts and could tell from the image they were styled with a matching shirt, clearly a co-ord set. But instead of being given the option to “Complete the Look,” I had to go hunting for the top myself. Yes, there is a co-ords section, but that’s not helpful if you’ve stumbled upon an item organically while browsing another category.

Other retailers like Tu include a carousel of styled items under each product, allowing you to add the full look to your basket in one go. That’s what makes online shopping seamless - and sadly, F&F is missing that trick.

Sold out already? A victim of Its own popularity

Now let’s talk about stock availability. I visited the site around midday on launch day, and already, several of the most buzzed about items were gone. The embroidered white maxi skirt and matching top? Sold out in every size. The faux suede TikTok-famous mini jackets? Barely any sizes left, including mine.

I do understand this is a supply and demand issue. Some of these pieces had gone viral well before the online launch and were always going to sell out quickly. But I do wonder if Tesco anticipated just how popular the online rollout would be. If they had, I’d hope they’d stock those viral pieces in higher quantities. When customers miss out on the main item they came for within hours of launch, it’s not a great first impression.

That said, the filtering system worked well. I was able to narrow things down by size, colour, and item type, and there was still a solid selection left to choose from. But for anyone hoping to get in on a specific viral item, good luck.

Tech glitches and a checkout fail

The biggest issue, though, was the technical functionality. I browsed on a laptop using a browser (not the app, yet), and the experience was hit and miss. I often like to open product links in new tabs to compare pieces or look more closely without losing my place. But this only worked about 50% of the time. The rest of the time, I got a very unhelpful Tesco error page telling me the item couldn’t be found.

Things got worse when I went to checkout. I filled my basket with care, entered my card details, clicked through to verify the purchase, and the page crashed. No confirmation email, no sign of a completed order. I assumed it hadn’t gone through.

Frustrating, but fine, I thought. I re-added everything to my basket and tried again. This time, success. Or so I thought. A few hours later, while checking my bank app, I noticed two charges for the exact same order. The original payment had somehow gone through after all.

Customer service: friendly but flawed

I immediately went back onto the website to cancel one of the orders, only to find there was no option to do so. After some searching, I found a customer service number and eventually got through to a very friendly man who explained that orders can only be cancelled within 30 minutes. After that, you’re stuck.

This wasn’t great news considering the glitch was clearly on Tesco’s side. The advisor kindly offered me a £10 voucher as compensation and explained that my options were to return the duplicate order via courier for a £2.50 fee or take it to my nearest Tesco store. I opted for the latter, though I won’t be able to go until the weekend. I’ll update this review with how that return experience goes once it’s done.

Still, this isn’t a great system. Online shopping shouldn’t require a phone call to fix what’s essentially a back-end glitch, especially not in 2025. 

Delivery and packaging: some inconsistencies

Both of my orders arrived together, which made things easier. The clothes themselves were great quality, and looked just as good in person as they did online, which, let’s be honest, is not always a given.

Interestingly, some items arrived on hangers, while others, identical items from the duplicate order, did not. I’m not sure if this is a logistics issue or an inconsistency with packing standards, but it felt a little random.

There was also no returns paperwork inside the parcels, which could become a problem when I go to return the items in store. Some items came in labelled bags with barcodes, others were in clear, unmarked bags with a single paper tag. Hopefully the store staff know how to handle them, but it didn’t feel especially organised.

A fantastic brand, let down by a basic online experience

Let me be clear: I adore F&F. The styling is sharp, the quality is fantastic for the price, and the trend led pieces consistently hit the mark. I’m genuinely thrilled that I can now shop the line online and have no doubt I’ll be back for more.

But Tesco really needs to level up the e-commerce experience. The glitches, the lack of thoughtful user experience, and the post-payment chaos all left me frustrated. It’s one of the weakest online retail platforms I’ve used in a while, and for such a high performing clothing line, that’s a real shame.

I’m hopeful these are just opening day teething issues. Tesco has been working on this relaunch for some time, so it’s disappointing that some of these bugs weren’t caught in advance. As the site beds in, I’ll be watching closely, and I do plan to try shopping through the app next to see if it’s any smoother.

For now, my verdict:

●      Clothing range, styling, and price: 5/5

●      Website experience: 2/5

●      Overall shopping experience: 2.5/5

I'll definitely remain a loyal F&F customer, but let’s hope Tesco can bring their website up to the same standard as their wardrobe.