A PwC report found 21% of U.S. households now include someone taking a GLP-1 weight-loss medication, up from 9% in January 2025. That’s a big shift in just a little over a year, and it’s having an immediate impact on the retail supply chain.
Apparel retailers have been vocal about GLP-1 consumers causing an uptick in returns. The Wall Street Journal reported on the returns growth in apparel and one retailer attributed a 50% uptick in returns to the trend.
As consumers use the medication and see a change in their bodies, they’re experimenting and buying items in multiple sizes to try at home, sending back what doesn’t fit. This practice is called bracketing.
In food, restaurants are seeing smaller portions being ordered, while grocers are adjusting stock to meet shifting demand. Some supermarkets even have dedicated GLP-1-friendly aisles.
As GLP-1 momentum continues to develop, retailers that are managing more returns and a bumpy supply chain need to respond with compassion. Sure, retailers can push hard on return policies, but they might upset loyal customers navigating their new size. Instead, retailers can use centralized consumer data like purchase history and previous returns behavior across channels to approach GLP-1 consumers with more personalized policies.
They can also use AI to analyze inventory trends to better meet the needs of this growing consumer set.
Clothing retailers are definitely feeling the GLP-1 squeeze. A survey of more than 700 consumers using GLP-1 medications found that 55% have ordered more sizes at once to identify their new size, and 44% have returned or exchanged items because of their body change.
There’s also an emotional component captured by the GLP-1 consumer survey: 55% of respondents said they’re shopping brands they previously felt they couldn’t before. More than half also said clothes matter to them now more than ever. This means that, while retailers might be feeling a hit in their profit margin due to an influx in returns, there’s a potentially bigger opportunity to handle GLP-1 consumers with care, making them feel more comfortable and inspired to buy more.
In fact, the same consumer survey found that the cost of rebuilding a wardrobe is averaging $328 a person. Additionally, respondents said they’ve been delaying shopping for about six months, creating an opportunity for retailers to highlight flexible returns policies and invite them to shop earlier. With unified, omnichannel customer data, apparel retailers can more easily understand when their GLP-1 shoppers are ready for a change in wardrobe, and help them through the process. This includes promoting flexible return policies, offering incentives to shop again when items don’t fit, and creating a personalized experience when it comes to both shopping and returns.
Inventory Experiences a Quieter Shift
The idea of treating GLP-1 consumers with care extends beyond the returns counter. If retailers aren’t monitoring the trend, they could also disappoint a growing shopper base by not efficiently stocking products they desire. Companies must understand what their shoppers are buying or get stuck with unwanted items in a warehouse.
In apparel, it’s about allocating inventory to the right stores based on how GLP-1 consumers are shopping. At supermarkets and food retailers, smaller basket sizes could impact how a company stocks a store, as well as contributing to slower turns on items that used to move quickly, such as indulgent snacks and sugary beverages. Some grocers are restructuring planograms around the GLP-1 shift, carving out sections for low-calorie, high-protein products and adjusting order quantities on categories that used to be reliable volume drivers.
The challenge for retailers: Miscalculations in inventory and shopper demand can show up as more returns, impacting margins. But a strict, blanket return policy doesn’t allow for retailers to handle each return distinctly.
Last year, returns of merchandise in the U.S. passed $706 billion, causing many retailers to tighten return windows and increase restocking fees. It’s an instinct that makes sense on paper, but with GLP-1 users having an emotional connection to the return, these stringent return policies can risk upsetting loyal consumers.
The fix is a sharper read on the data that retailers already have. Purchase history and prior returns behavior can flag whether a return looks like a one-off size change or a habitual pattern. This is the distinction that should color how customer service handles the conversation.
Merchandising and supply chain teams need to analyze data before the holiday season begins, too, when returns volume and inventory pressure rise together. GLP-1 adoption is expected to continue to climb, and it’s a trend that doesn’t only impact apparel and grocery.
Data analysis can help retailers better forecast how GLP-1 consumers are impacting their business. Personalization can improve how they approach consumers suddenly returning more items, or help enhance a planogram to meet specific store sets. Ultimately, if retailers handle the GLP-1 trend with grace, it can improve brand loyalty and create opportunities to grow profits.
Kara Holthaus is chief customer officer at Appriss Retail.