The impact of GLP-1 medications is ever more visible in grocery sales, as some categories lose volume while demand for protein, produce, yogurt and other health-focused products grows. There are new challenges – and opportunities – for retailers and manufacturers as consumers change what they buy.
We’ve seen this building since mid-2025, and signs of it even before that, but the latest numbers show the trend is becoming more impactful across the industry. It’s undeniable now that consumers are reallocating their grocery spending; they’re moving away from some traditional snack and indulgence categories and toward products associated with protein, nutrition and healthier eating.
PwC reported in June 2026 that 21% of U.S. households now include a current GLP-1 user, more than double the 9% reported in January 2025. PwC also found that grocery spending per household was down 5.5% among GLP-1 households, as consumers shifted purchases toward fresh produce, protein and supplements.
Let’s Be Clear about Why the Grocery Basket Is Changing
Previous diets were based on consuming something different, from South Beach to keto all the way back to the Nineties’ Snackwells — which used to be in every corner of the supermarket. (I for one bought a lot of Snakwells thinking it would stop my expanding waistline.) From a merchandising perspective, that’s about changing a single choice in a grocery section: “Do I buy the regular snack or the diet-specific alternative?”
GLP-1s, of course, are a pharmaceutical intervention; they change the appetite and therefore the purchase.
Research from McKinsey shows some of the clearest evidence yet of the shift.
Six months after consumers began using GLP-1 medications, grocery spending declined in a number of traditional center-store categories. Chips and other savory snacks were down 11.5%, followed by sweet bakery products at 8.5%, sides and frozen sides at 7.5%, cheese at 7.2%, cookies at 7.0% and soft drinks at 6.8%.
At the same time, several categories moved in the opposite direction. Spending increased on yogurt, fresh produce, meat snacks and nutrition bars.
This is the retailer’s “silver lining” implication: the GLP-1 shopper may not be a smaller-value shopper across the board. They’re probably building a different basket.
Protein is shaping up to be a big opportunity emerging in GLP-1’s wake…
Protein Looks Like a Major Beneficiary
Consumers taking these medications are increasingly focused on maintaining adequate nutrition and, in particular, protein intake. NIQ’s 2026 health and wellness research found that GLP-1 users are placing greater emphasis on protein, fiber, probiotics and nutrient-rich foods.
NIQ also found that GLP-1 users accounted for 43% of sales growth for products carrying muscle-health claims, despite representing only 4.5% of households in the data analyzed.
Make no mistake: This is bigger than traditional protein products.
Protein-enhanced versions of familiar grocery staples — including pasta, oatmeal, cereal and bagels,and cheese — are now on supermarket shelves, with more on the way. In many cases protein-enhanced products are being developed in exchange for low fat or no fat options for the consumer.
The perimeter of the store is also showing signs of the shift.
Fresh Foods Are Benefiting, Too
Wells Fargo’s analysis of NielsenIQ data found increases among weight-loss GLP-1 shoppers in several fresh categories. Fruit purchases increased 14%, mixed vegetables 38%, milk products 17%, cheese 16% and fresh meat 15% in the data examined.
Certain individual products showed even larger increases, including avocados and kiwi.
That does not mean every GLP-1 shopper is suddenly eating a dramatically different diet. Consumer behavior varies by how long someone has been taking the medication, why they’re taking it and their individual circumstances.
But the overall direction suggests a growing emphasis on nutrient density and food quality rather than simply food quantity.
There’s No One Simple Story Behind the Numbers
One of the most important findings for retailers is that GLP-1 consumers don’t behave the same way throughout their journey.
Wells Fargo’s analysis found that people who had recently begun taking GLP-1 medications for weight loss actually spent 22% more in grocery stores during their first one to three months, compared with the same period a year earlier. The researchers suggest some new users may initially eat more meals at home, particularly as they adjust to the medication and when they can plan their meals.
That’s why the effect of GLP-1 medications on grocery sales can’t simply be measured by looking at whether users are spending more or less. The consumer’s place in the cycle of behavior is important. Early in the process, a household may increase grocery purchases. Later on, its basket may become smaller or shift – substantially – toward different categories.
NIQ’s 2026 research also found that weight-loss GLP-1 shoppers made fewer shopping trips – 6.4% fewer year over year – but spent 15.1% more per trip; this suggests that these consumers are planning their purchases before the walk into the store. In fact, overall annual spending per shopper was 7.7% higher than nonusers in the period studied. For retailers the opportunity of building the complete meal as a purchase vs. selling just components of a meal is something to be looked into.
Of course, these types of consumers would be less inclined to impulse purchases. For traditional CPG companies, this could become one of the most important implications of GLP-1 adoption.
Categories historically dependent on impulse purchases and indulgence, including chips, candy, cookies, bakery products and soft drinks, could face pressure as a larger percentage of consumers reduce consumption.
McKinsey’s research already shows declines across many of those categories among GLP-1 users.
But manufacturers shouldn’t necessarily view the trend solely as a threat. For instance, a consumer who buys fewer conventional snacks may still purchase protein bars, meat snacks, Greek yogurt, functional beverages or other nutrient-dense alternatives.
That creates the possibility of a significant transformation within the center store; it’s not necessarily a harbinger of decline.
How Grocers Are Responding
Retailers are getting into position by expanding their wellness offerings. McKinsey’s 2026 State of Grocery report found that nearly 90% of grocers expect to increase shelf-space allocation for high-protein products, with most expecting increases of more than 10% over the next two to three years.
Some major retailers are also moving beyond merchandising. Grocery chains are experimenting with wellness programs that connect pharmacy, nutrition counseling and food recommendations. Wells Fargo cited Kroger, H-E-B and Hy-Vee among retailers developing programs that include wellness services and access to products and prescription-related services.
All this should be taken to mean the long-term impact of GLP-1s will extend beyond the shelf. The grocery store could increasingly become part of a consumer’s broader health and wellness strategy.
Smart retailers will recognize the spread of GLP-1s for what it is: a fundamental change in consumer behavior. The opportunity is there for retailers to take.