GLP-1 Users Are Reshaping Retail With Every Pound They Shed

In 2024, according to a Gallup survey, just 3 percent of U.S. adults were using GLP-1 medications to lose weight. 

By July 2026, that share had soared to 11 percent, with 15 percent saying they had at some point tried a GLP-1 drug such as Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss. 

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This means that right now, around 1 in 8 American adults are making a serious attempt to eat healthier, live less destructive lifestyles, and transform into the idealized versions of themselves they had long been trying, but failing, to become.

Knowing the traditional purchasing power of aspirational Americans, it seems unlikely that these changes would come without a corresponding shift in shopping habits that in turn would have a serious effect on retailers. 

The quest for a better, healthier self, after all, means specific lifestyle changes: choosing healthier food and smaller portions at grocery stores and restaurants, working out at the local gym, and finally being able to fit into that outfit that’s been whispering seductively to you from behind a retailer’s display window or website.

It comes as little surprise, then, to learn that retailers are indeed seeing the GLP-1-inspired effects of this trend in both foot traffic and sales figures.

A study in the Journal of Marketing Research published in December 2025 analyzed the spending of tens of thousands of U.S. households where a GLP-1 drug was being used for weight loss. 

The study found that households reduce grocery spending by an average of 5.3 percent within six months of starting the medication, with the spending of higher-income households falling 8 percent. Fast-food, coffee shop and other limited-
service eatery spending also drops by 8 percent, while spending on snacks and sweets falls by 10 percent.

An April 2026 report from consultancy McKinsey & Company delved deeper, breaking down sales drops by specific categories. Among the survey’s findings: Six months after starting a GLP-1, consumers spent 11.5 percent less on chips and other savory snacks, 8.5 percent less on sweet bakery items, 7.4 percent less on salad dressings and oils, 7.2 percent less on cheese and 7 percent less on cookies. 

Out of 21 categories cited in the report, only four saw percentage increases: nutrition bars (0.5 percent), meat snacks (1 percent), fresh produce (1.5 percent) and yogurt, which rose by 2.5 percent.  

Evidence of a drop in sales for sugary snacks is pervasive. A July 2026 article in the Wall Street Journal said that sales for the snack division of J.M. Smucker, which includes the Hostess snack cake brand, “have declined for the last six quarters,” and that profits have declined similarly with the exception of an uptick last quarter. As a result, the company is ratcheting back “expectations for long-term growth” for the iconic brand. 

Citing GLP-1 use as one of several reasons for a larger snack downturn overall — decreases in consumer spending and the “Make America Healthy Again” movement were also cited as factors — the article noted that sales of snacks in the U.S. are down 4 percent over the last four years, but, for sweet snacks specifically the decrease is 17 percent.    

Signs of this are also clear when taking a close look at retail foot traffic. Location analytics company Placer.ai reached similar conclusions when looking at foot traffic in grocery stores, fitness clubs, ice cream shops and more.

According to a Placer.ai report, the fresh-format grocery store category, which includes the likes of Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts Farmers Market, has seen foot traffic rise steadily since the first quarter of 2022 — from 6.3 percent of all grocery visits to 7.3 percent in the first quarter of 2026 — coinciding, Placer.ai said, with the corresponding rise in the use of GLP-1 medications.

(Trader Joe’s, Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Sprouts Farmers Market declined to speak for this article. Other national brands did not respond to requests for comment.)

The company also noted that while the fresh-format category’s foot traffic share has risen steadily, its capture of median household income began to decline, a trend suggesting “a broadening customer base, as households across income brackets increasingly prioritize higher-quality food and allocate a larger share of their grocery trips to fresh formats.”

The report also noted that “smoothie and juice chains, fast-casual restaurants and frozen yogurt chains outpaced ice cream and quick-service restaurants in 2024 and 2025 for year-over-year visit growth.”

Unsurprisingly, gyms and fitness centers are also experiencing a boom. Placer.ai found that people visiting a gym at least three times in an average month rose from 44.8 percent to 46.8 percent between early 2023 and early 2026, while those visiting four times a month rose from 37.3 percent to 39.1 percent.   

R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai, considers the fitness category’s resilience somewhat surprising.

“Historically speaking, in an uneven macroeconomic environment, health club memberships are one of the first things that consumers usually bypass,” said Hottovy. “That is definitely not happening right now.” 

The first week of January generally sees a New Year’s
resolution-driven boom in visits for gyms, yet a significant portion of those members usually don’t stick around, Hottovy noted. But that’s changing.

“Historically speaking, most gyms can expect to lose 20 to 30 percent of those members,” said Hottovy. “But, according to publicly reported numbers by some of these chains, that’s changed quite a bit. You still see some attrition, but it’s a lot less than it once was. We’ve really seen that membership attrition curve flatten out.”

Hottovy said GLP-1s are just one reason for the fitness category’s current resilience — lower prices and less oppressive membership agreements are also part of it — but the effect of the rise in GLP-1 use is hard to ignore.

“Our data suggests that there’s some attachment [for the increased visitations] to the increase in use of GLP-1s and other weight-management drugs,” said Hottovy.

The gathering strength of the fitness and wellness categories is bearing out on the leasing side of things as well.

In a Manhattan retail report from the fourth quarter of 2025, Newmark found a 40 percent year-over-year increase in fitness and wellness facilities in the borough.   

“People are much more focused on health and wellness than they’ve ever been,” said Jeffrey Roseman, a vice chairman at Newmark. “Every time I look at a lease-out report, I’m seeing Pilates, barre classes, cold plunges and fitness clubs.”

And, while he was hesitant to place all the credit on GLP-1 use, J.P. Pirraglia, an executive vice president at retail brokerage Ripco Real Estate, mentioned several current projects that line up fairly well with the trend.

“Wellness and fitness-related concepts are some of the most active in the marketplace right now — boutique wellness, med spas, recovery concepts and large-format gyms like Equinox,” said Pirraglia. Large-format gyms remain a constant, he said, but he’s seen an increase in smaller boutique fitness outlets.

“There’s a small local brand called Level Fitness — more of a mom-and-pop, large-format gym — that is doing a big push to open new locations in Long Island and the outer boroughs of New York City,” said Pirraglia. “The founders of Rumble Boxing are opening a new concept in Flatiron called the Pack. We’re helping them open several new locations. And there’s a brand called Dogpound out of L.A. that’s coming to the New York metro area. It’s definitely a very active category.”

On the dining side, Roseman noted that, while other factors may be involved, a number of chain restaurants not exactly known for healthy food or small portions have recently announced closures.

In fact, those sorts of outlets dominate restaurant closure announcements of late.

Red Lobster closed 129 locations as part of a 2024 bankruptcy filing, and is considering further closures, while Hooters and sister company TGI Fridays both filed for bankruptcy in recent years. Other chains that announced significant closures in that time include Starbucks, Wendy’s, Jack in the Box, Denny’s, Outback Steakhouse, Red Robin, Pizza Hut and Macaroni Grill.

Brandon Isner, Newmark’s head of U.S. retail research, noted that comparing foot traffic in different categories shows that retail is strongest right now in health-related sectors.

“If you take the first quarter of 2026 and compare it to the first quarter of 2019, which is often a good indicator, fast-food and quick-service restaurants are up about 1.5 percent, but foot traffic to grocery stores is up almost 13 percent,” said Isner. “And, foot traffic to fitness centers is up over 27 percent. Granted, there are more of those venues now, but this shows that there is a clear demand and clear interest for people to go to these types of places.”

In the case of restaurants, the change in consumer preference has been so stark that some are beginning to respond with menu items specifically catering to those with less ravenous appetites.

Clinton Hall, a beer hall and gastropub with four locations in Manhattan, introduced a special “teeny-weeny mini menu” for customers on GLP-1s last year, including meal deals like a mini-burger, just a few French fries, and a very small beer for $8. The New York Times called it “a kids meal for the 21-and-older set.”

The chain’s owner, Aristotle Hatzigeorgiou, told the Times that he was inspired to do it after “seeing how many people in his own life were taking GLP-1s.”

And NoHo Italian restaurant Tucci, part of Delmonico’s Hospitality Group, has developed a special “Ozempic menu” that allows people, on request, to order smaller portions of certain protein-rich items, such as just one of their signature gourmet meatballs instead of three, or their arancini and caviar by the piece.    

Adam Plitt, executive chef for Delmonico’s Hospitality Group, believes that the rise of GLP-1s will not curb people dining out, even if they consume smaller portions.

“People still want the experience,” said Plitt. “Just because they can’t eat as much, they’re still going out to experience the food. Our job is to tailor-make that experience for them with smaller portions, but still with really good quality food with beautiful flavors.”

Plitt noted that the restaurant industry is no stranger to changes in general preferences and taste regarding food, and that adapting to those has long been part of how restaurants keep people coming back for more.

“There are changes in diets every couple of years. We embrace these sorts of things,” said Plitt. “If you would have talked about a gluten-free diet 30 years ago, people would have said, ‘What does that even mean?’ Now, it’s super popular and very prevalent. So I think this is just another thing you have to adapt to.”

Plitt believes the rise of GLP-1s may shrink some portion sizes, but will never shrink the public’s enthusiasm for the dining experience.

“At the end of the day, people don’t just go to restaurants to fill their stomach,” Plitt said. “They go to get out of the house and have an experience with friends and family. That’s never going away. People will always want to do that.”

But, sometimes people go out to eat not for that experience, but to satisfy very specific nutritional goals.

Matter is a combination app and restaurant that allows patrons to plug in their exact desired nutritional metrics, including “macros” — short for macronutrients, a popular way to refer to specific amounts of protein, fats and carbs among the health-conscious — and other attributes, and get meals catered to their exact specifications. 

While the Matter app is usable by anyone, anywhere to track this information, the company currently has two physical locations — an outlet in SoHo that opened in December 2025, and a recently opened virtual kitchen in Midtown — with more on the way.

There, customers can enter their exact desired nutritional intake — including specific amounts of protein and fiber, a key metric for GLP-1 users — into a kiosk, and have meals specifically designed around them.   

Jon Sherman, Matter’s co-founder, says that while Matter wasn’t specifically designed with GLP-1 users in mind, it’s clear that those users appreciate the opportunity to plan their nutritional needs so precisely.

“We see Matter as the perfect solution for supporting the GLP-1 journey, whether you’re trying to ensure you’re getting the right nutrients, or transitioning off them and need a solution to help manage your caloric intake,” said Sherman.

Sherman can’t attest to how many of his customers are on GLP-1s, but the feedback he does receive seems to imply a tight connection.

“GLP-1 use is definitely a major tailwind supporting the hypothesis that there are a lot of people who really need a solution like this,” said Sherman. “It’s clear from the feedback we get that a lot of our customers are increasingly focused on protein, fiber and healthy fat intake, as well as overall ingredient quality and nutrient density.”

While Sherman believes the popularity of wearable devices and an overall trend toward delving deeper into nutrition also play a role, he said that GLP-1s have undeniably impacted the way people eat.

“So many people are taking a more data-driven approach to overall health, and specifically to nutrition,” said Sherman. “Five years ago, people weren’t walking around with a daily protein target or fiber goal in mind. Today, a surprisingly large portion of the population is thinking about these things, and GLP-1s are certainly contributing to that.”

And, as a result of the weight loss that smaller portions and healthier eating overall often leads to, the apparel category is also feeling effects from the popularity of GLP-1s. 

Market research company Circana, referring to GLP-1s as an “emerging transformational force in the U.S. apparel industry,” reported in March 2026 that 80 percent of GLP-1 users anticipated wardrobe changes associated with their impending weight loss, and that 55 percent of active GLP-1 users had already made such clothing purchases.

The company also pointed out how GLP-1s are affecting apparel sales by sizes. Using bra sales as an example, the company noted that “larger band (42+) and cup (D) sizes are losing share, while mid-range or smaller sizes — including band size 40 and B and C cups — are gaining share.” The report notes that these changes can be expected to impact “size curves, inventory planning and fit model strategies” for associated brands.

Macerich, a publicly traded owner that owns around 41 million square feet of real estate across 39 shopping centers, is seeing GLP-1-motivated shifts across several of its retail categories.

“Because people are losing weight, they’re feeling more positive about themselves, and they’re shopping more because they feel really good about the way they look in some of the clothes,” said Jamie Bourbeau, senior vice president of leasing at Macerich, echoing a sentiment she’s been hearing from some of Macerich’s retailers. 

Macerich, Bourbeau said, has seen purchasing shifts in food-related categories away from salty snacks and more toward protein-based fast casual, noting that chains like Cava, Sweetgreen and Chipotle are over-performing.

Bourbeau has also seen the rise of fitness and athleisure wear thanks to the experiential retail store Dick’s House of Sport, which anchors Macerich’s Freehold Raceway Mall in New Jersey and is currently in planning or construction mode for seven other Macerich locations, among others. 

“With this shift toward overall wellness, people want athleisure, they want fitness equipment, and they want a Fitbit or Apple Watch to track things. They’re really leaning into more of a health and wellness lifestyle,” said Bourbeau. “Traffic and sales are very strong at some of our athleisure properties, like at Alo, Athleta or Lululemon. Vuori is a great example. Their sales are very strong.”

While health trends come and go, Bourbeau believes the effects on retail from the popularity of GLP-1s is not only built to last, but will also benefit a wide variety of retail categories as people continue to celebrate their new and improved selves.

“When you’re not feeling great about yourself, it’s not fun shopping for clothes,” said Bourbeau. “As people start to lose weight, they feel better about themselves, and, when you actually feel good about yourself and your confidence is up, you want to buy different clothes. I think it’s a really positive thing for retail.”

Larry Getlen can be reached at lgetlen@commercialobserver.com.