Weight-loss drug users save over £400 a year on grocery bills as take-up triples
- company Marks & Spencer
- company Ocado
- company Worldpanel by Numerator
- location Great Britain
- person Chantel Kennaugh
- product Mounjaro
- product Wegovy
Households with a user of weight-loss drugs save more than £400 a year on grocery bills, according to new survey data, as GLP-1 medications reshape shopping and eating habits across Great Britain.
The research, from Worldpanel by Numerator, found that grocery spend by households that include a weight-loss jab user has declined by £780m, with 299m fewer grocery packs bought during February, when the analysis took place [1][2]. This equates to a £418 drop in grocery spending for user households compared with non-user ones [1]. Use of GLP-1s has nearly tripled in the past two years to 1.9 million adults, and more than 6.3% of households in Great Britain now include at least one user, up from 4.1% in 2025 and 2.3% in 2024 [2].
GLP-1 users buy less food at the supermarket, the survey of more than 11,600 households indicated [1]. Three-quarters of users reported eating less chocolate, and a similar number reduced their consumption of crisps [1][2]. Chocolate confectionery spend fell by 18 percentage points more in GLP-1 user households compared with non-user households [1]. More than half of users described their approach to eating as "mindful," meaning their food consumption was guided by hunger rather than habit, routine or restriction [1].
The change in eating habits extends beyond the home. Two-fifths of people taking weight-loss drugs said they wanted to see smaller portion sizes on restaurant menus, while more than a quarter requested a GLP-1-friendly section of the menu [1]. A common side-effect, dry mouth and bad breath, drove some users to buy more mouthwash and chewing gum, with sales up 20 percentage points and 24 percentage points respectively in user households compared with non-user households [1].
Chantel Kennaugh, head of public sector and nutrition GB for Worldpanel by Numerator, said the drugs are "fundamentally disrupting how people engage with food and drink, with ripple effects already being felt across grocery and lifestyle" [1]. Some retailers have begun to respond. Marks & Spencer introduced a range of "nutrient dense" food aimed at customers who are eating less, while Ocado created a virtual "weight management" aisle [1]. Price has re-emerged as the primary barrier to taking the medication, with two-fifths of users reporting stopping in 2026 because of the cost [1].