The arrival of oral GLP-1 weight-loss treatments could take the impact of appetite-suppressing medicines on European food and drink markets into a new phase. The EU approved Novo Nordisk’s once-daily Wegovy pill in July, making it the bloc’s first authorised oral GLP-1 for weight management. Germany became the first EU country to launch it on 1 September, following launches in the UK and US earlier this year.
For grocery, the significance is not simply that another weight-loss treatment has reached the market. Tablets could make GLP-1 treatment more accessible and convenient for many consumers, potentially widening the population whose eating habits are affected by appetite suppression.
Early evidence suggests the resulting changes to grocery shopping may be subtle rather than disruptive overnight. A Danish study analysing more than 1.9 million supermarket purchases found that consumers starting GLP-1 treatment made modest shifts towards lower-energy, lower-sugar and lower-saturated-fat purchases, while protein content increased.
That points to a gradual evolution in grocery baskets rather than the sudden disappearance of major categories. Consumers may buy less overall, but the composition of what they do buy could change. Foods offering protein, fibre, nutritional value and convenience may become more relevant, while categories heavily reliant on impulse purchasing or frequent snacking could come under pressure.
At the same time, there may be an unexpected premiumisation effect. If consumers are eating less, they may become more selective about what they choose to eat, potentially favouring better-quality or more indulgent products for occasions when they do want a treat. The impact on grocery could therefore be less about "diet food" and more about a shift in the value consumers attach to individual eating occasions.
The effects may also extend well beyond the supermarket aisles. Research among GLP-1 users in several European markets has highlighted demand for products addressing hydration, digestive health, vitamins, skincare and haircare, reflecting some of the wider needs associated with weight loss and treatment.
This makes oral GLP-1s significant not because they create an entirely new food market, but because they could accelerate changes already under way in how consumers think about eating, health and value. For European grocery manufacturers and retailers, the challenge will be to identify which of these behavioural shifts represent lasting changes in demand and which are simply a consequence of the current weight-loss trend.
As oral treatments become more widely available, GLP-1s could increasingly influence the food market indirectly, reshaping what consumers prioritise even when the majority of shoppers are not taking the medicines themselves.