They say it’s not what you know, it’s who you know – and that feels particularly pertinent right now when you drill down into the topic of GLP-1s. According to IGD, 42% of Brits now say they know someone who is taking GLP-1 medication. What was once a niche medical intervention is rapidly becoming part of everyday life.
The number of GLP-1 users is already comparable to the UK’s vegan population and fast approaching the number of vegetarians. Plant-based eating reshaped retail priorities significantly – from merchandising to product innovation and packaging – because consumers wanted those choices visibly reflected back at them. They looked for labels, dedicated fixtures and clear signposting they could trust.
GLP-1s present a different challenge entirely.
The visibility problem
While early indications point to some significant behavioural changes – smaller appetites, different shopping habits, changing attitudes towards indulgence and portion size – consumers do not necessarily want those choices publicly signalled. IGD focus groups suggest that while acceptance is growing in using GLP-1s for weight management, there is still considerable hesitation around how open users want to be about this in everyday life.
That creates a challenge for which retailers are not traditionally set up. The key question is: how do you merchandise for a behaviour that consumers may not explicitly identify with?
It is unlikely we will see dedicated “GLP-1-friendly” aisles appear in the way plant-based fixtures did. Instead, this shift is more likely to surface indirectly through demand for smaller pack sizes, resealable formats, nutrient-dense products and clearer functional benefits around protein, fibre and satiety. The opportunity is not to label the user, but to respond to the need.
Where the signals will show up
Commercially, that is an important distinction. The retail industry has historically relied on visible consumer tribes to shape decision-making. But GLP-1-driven behaviour may be harder to spot in plain sight. The scale of the impact remains uncertain, but an educated guess points to the importance of loyalty data. This may be the first port of call for spotting new shopping patterns, changing basket missions and subtle declines across categories built around volume and impulse purchasing.
Over the next six to 12 months, as GLP-1 use continues to grow, another questions emerges: will the data also reveal nuance between online and in-store behaviour? From the comfort of their living room, GLP-1 users may be more upfront about their new lifestyle. E-commerce platforms could be where subtle signposting moves up a gear. After all, shopping online means you can shop in secret.
Time will tell. But given that the cultural shift may become visible long before consumers openly identify themselves as part of it, this may be what makes GLP-1s such a significant retail story. It is potentially the first large-scale food behaviour shift where the commercial signals just aren’t as visible as you’d expect.
Retail has spent years learning how to market to consumers who wanted their choices publicly recognised. GLP-1s may usher in an era where the most commercially significant behaviour shifts pass us by, having already materially changed category performance.
Vicki Baker is head of retail trade and hospitality at Cirkle
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