Megan McDonald, 36, of Boxford, Massachusetts, has noticed her shopping habits have changed in the two years she’s been on a GLP-1.
Since McDonald began using the GLP-1, Zepbound, and she lost 175 pounds, she focuses on the produce and meats found on the outer edges of the supermarket. And she has no interest in the snack food aisle.
“For myself, there’s not much in the middle of the store for myself except for protein bars. But it’s mostly the produce, the meats and the dairies that I’m going for,” she said. “Those are more expensive, but because I don’t need as much, I would say I’ve redistributed” the costs.
A ‘Seismic Shift’
GLP-1 use isn’t just drastically changing the lives of those, like McDonald, who are on the weight-loss drug. It’s changing the way those consumers are shopping for food, clothes and health and beauty products, as well as how they eat out.
And the various industries are taking notice, focusing on reformulating and repackaging their products to keep up with what one industry observer calls a seismic shift.
The rapid and growing adoption of GLP-1 and its effects on retail as users’ eating habits and needs for products change is something the retail industry hasn’t seen in many years, said Ali Furman, U.S. consumer markets industry leader for PwC.
“Our data really shows that these behavioral changes persist over time, and the adoption curve resembles one of the fastest consumer disruptions on record,” Furman told USA TODAY. “We’ve compared it to the adoption of the iPhone, for example. This drug is accelerating the convergence of health, consumerism, retail and creating opportunity for businesses,” she said.
Shoppers Move From the Middle of the Grocery Store to the Outer Ring
Shopping habits — particularly at the grocery store — for GLP-1 users do change, said Robin Wenzel, head of the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute.
“It’s coming in as a decrease initially in spending, but it later kind of gets caught up because now they’re buying more health and wellness, more supplements, they’re buying new clothes,” Wenzel told USA TODAY. “So the shopping is actually increasing over time as they’re on the drugs and they’re starting to see the results and feeling good.”
Food manufacturers are adjusting their products as GLP-1 users and Americans start to follow a healthier diet with new USDA guidelines focusing on fresh foods and proteins, she said.
At the grocery store, GLP-1 users initially are seeing a decline in their spending as their appetite is suppressed and they may not be buying in as much volume as they did prior to taking the medication, said Wenzel.
Shoppers move from the middle of the grocery store, where they typically find snacks and processed foods, to the perimeter of the store, which has fresh meats, fruits and vegetables, she said.
At Least 1 in 5 U.S. Households Have at Least One GLP-1 User
GLP-1 usage is big and growing. A PwC analysis of Numerator data shows that at least 20% of all U.S. households have at least one GLP-1 user as of December 2025, up from 9% the year before, said Furman. That was also before the recent Eli Lilly oral pill was approved and before more of the direct-to-consumer channels developed, making the pill more affordable and accessible.
“We anticipate household penetration and overall adoption is going to further accelerate significantly in the next 12 months,” Furman said.
Overall grocery basket spends are shrinking 3% to 4% for households that have at least one GLP-1 user and shrinking 7% to 9% for single-person households, according to PwC’s analysis.
Sales for GLP-1 qualified foods, which tend to focus on protein, fiber and unsaturated fats, have steadily increased over the last three years, according to data from Nielsen IQ (NIQ). Sales in 2023 were up 3.8% and rose 4% in 2024 and 5.1% in 2025. Sales for 52 weeks ending April 18 were up 2.6%, according to NIQ data.
In some cases, initial spending at the grocery store can also go up as new GLP-1 users are experimenting with buying new products and seeing what works, said Sherry Frey, vice president of total wellness at NIQ. Then it levels down and levels off and the spending is reallocated to other areas such as multivitamins, supplements and organic foods, she said.
GLP-1 User Sees Major Lifestyle Changes
McDonald struggled with her weight all her life, and she says she tried many diets and weight-loss programs. Before losing weight on GLP-1s, her most successful weight loss was 50 pounds on a keto diet. But within four months, the weight would always come back.
“It wasn’t a sustainable lifestyle for me,” McDonald, who has been chronicling her weight-loss journey on TikTok, told USA TODAY.
In 2024, after having her third child, her doctor suggested trying a GLP-1 during her annual checkup. McDonald was roughly 313 pounds.
Nearly two years later, she reached her goal in December and now generally weighs between 136 and 143 pounds.
McDonald said her grocery spending has been redistributed. Her daytime meals are pretty consistent and include yogurts, protein bars, protein shakes and protein pasta.
Whether at the grocery store, or driving past a fast-food restaurant, she’s less tempted to buy an extra or unhealthy snack.
“I don’t have that food noise that you hear about,” McDonald said, referring to a constant mental chatter of thinking about food. “If I’m sitting at work and I know that I am going to pass a store on the way home, I don’t feel like I think about what can I stop and get?”
Shoppers Looking for Different Products
Consumers are looking for more portion precision or packaging that is resealable, Furman said.
Another interesting trend among some GLP-1 users, Furman said, is what PwC is calling “permissioned self-indulgence” — where GLP-1 users may be spending more on candy or premium desserts.
“Because they’re eating less, they might gravitate more towards a category like candy, which gives them joy and satisfaction,” she said.
But overall, the grocery spend is getting reallocated and decreased, she said.
That’s especially true when the woman of the household is the GLP-1 user, since “women tend to be the CEOs of household buying. They’re not just buying differently for themselves, they’re buying differently for the whole family, including their pets,” said Furman.
Protein Is the New Star
As GLP-1 users are losing fat, they are also battling losing muscle density, so there is a lot of focus on eating protein, said Furman.
Food companies are reacting to this.
“You’re seeing in the market just a tremendous boom of protein-infused products, whether it’s cereals or snacks or drinks or bars,” Furman said. Vitamins and supplements are also seeing a large uptick, she said.
Dining Out Changes With GLP-1 Usage
There has also been an overall decrease in eating at what’s considered quick-service restaurants, or fast-food restaurants, and a slight increase in casual dining instead, Furman said. According to a PwC analysis of consumer data, quick-service restaurant spending is down about 4% to 5% overall, and in single-person GLP-1 households, the drop is closer to 10%, driven by fewer impulse stops and less habitual frequency.
“When people are eating less, they’re seeking out an experience. They’re seeking out a higher quality meal,” she said.
McDonald said she isn’t interested in spending the money or eating out as much since taking the GLP-1s. She and her husband used to go to an Italian restaurant and split chicken parmesan and butternut squash ravioli. But during a recent rare dining night out, she said, “I was like ‘I can’t stomach all of that this time.’ So I got a side of pasta, just off the side menu.” The portion size was large enough that she took leftovers home.
Spending on Health, Beauty and Fashion Changes
While spending on fast food may wane, spending on clothing and beauty products starts to go up as GLP-1 users feel better about themselves, said Wenzel.
“They’re losing the weight, they’re feeling good … maybe their confidence is up,” which then increases interest in health and beauty products they may not have bought before, she said.
The increased spend also includes shopping for new clothes that fit as the weight comes off, Wenzel said.
The PwC analysis of Numerator data has shown an increase of 4% to 6% in apparel categories such as activewear, denim dresses and intimates for GLP-1 households, “driven by a wardrobe replacement and a move toward more form-fitting clothes,” said Furman.
Specifically, women’s bra spend rises by 14.4% in the first 12 months after the start of GLP-1 usage and drops to 9.3% after, Furman said.
McDonald tried to stretch out the wearing of her leggings and oversized shirts and dresses as her weight came off, but eventually needed new jeans — and headed to American Eagle.
“I’d never fit into American Eagle when I was a kid or when I was in high school, so it was cool for me to be able to shop there,” said McDonald.
Furman of PwC said off-price retailer shopper counts also have seen a 6.9% increase “as consumers are reluctant to pay full price for a size they may only wear for a short period of time.”
GLP-1s are not a fad and forecasts are showing increased usage as the drugs become more affordable and accessible to more consumers, Wenzel said.
“It feels very much here to stay,” she said.
Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY.
Reporting by Betty Lin-Fisher, USA TODAY / USA TODAY. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.
