Weight-loss jabs ‘could be hitting supermarket food sales' as 4% of households now take them

Independent

13 hours ago

The growing popularity of weight loss jabs could be affecting shopping habits in UK supermarkets, a leading research group has said, as 4 per cent of households are now using them.
The amount of groceries bought by shoppers fell over the past four weeks, the first year-on-year decline in 2025, data analysts Kantar said.
Overall grocery volumes fell by 0.4 per cent in this period, as grocery price inflation, which hit 4.7 per cent this month, reached its highest level since March 2024.
But inflated prices are not the only factor that could be influencing changing shopping habits, with Kantar speculating that the surge in uptake of weight loss jabs across the country could also be playing a part.
'Overall grocery volumes fell slightly by 0.4 per cent over the last four weeks, the first year-on-year decline this year. A small part of this fall could also be down to changing health priorities such as the growing use of GLP-1 weight loss drugs,' Fraser McKevvit, the head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar said.
'Supermarkets and grocery brands are entering new territory as weight loss drugs become more popular, with four in 100 households in Great Britain now including at least one GLP-1 user.
'That's almost twice as many as last year, so while it's still pretty low, it's definitely a trend that the industry should keep an eye on as these drugs have the potential to steer choices at the till.
'Four in five of the users we surveyed say they plan to eat fewer chocolates and crisps, and nearly three quarters intend to cut back on biscuits.'
Despite a drop in the volume of groceries bought by UK shoppers, footfall hit a five-year high over the four weeks to 15 June, and take-home grocery sales grew by 4.1 per cent compared with last year.
It appears that the recent bout of warm weather has also influenced the nation's shopping habits, as consumers bought 2,400 packs of strawberries every minute in the last four weeks. Sales of mangoes and blueberries also climbed by 27 per cent and 10 per cent each.
However, a rise in frequency was balanced out by a drop in average trip spend, which fell back by three pence to £23.89.
On Monday, a mass rollout of weight loss injections began across the NHS, with GPs able to prescribe Mounjaro for the first time.
The drug, also known as tirzepatide and manufactured by Lilly, is an antidiabetic medication that works by lowering blood sugar levels and slowing down the digestion of food.
From Monday, GPs will be able to offer Mounjaro to severely obese individuals who also suffer from a range of other health complications.
Under the previous system, patients could only access such treatments through specialised weight loss services.
This major initiative is expected to reach approximately 220,000 people across England over the next three years, targeting those identified as having the "greatest need" for intervention.