Nearly half of GLP-1 users switching to new clothing brands

Tinuiti reported recently that GLP-1 users were far more likely to increase their clothing spending over the next year than the general population, and now a new report reveals that those shedding weight on the drugs are not just buying smaller sizes—they’re often switching brands, too.

Nearly half (46%) of GLP-1 users have switched to new clothing brands, according to new data from EY-Parthenon. Those on the drugs are not necessarily swearing off the brands they wore before, but losing weight can create a major opportunity for brands those consumers had not purchased from before, perhaps because a brand may have had limited sizing options.

The findings have “meaningful implications” for “customer acquisition,” Will Auchincloss, EY-Parthenon Americas retail sector leader, said in a press release.

Kristen Classi-Zummo, apparel industry advisor at Circana, a market research firm, said that she’s been hearing from apparel brands that, as a result of GLP-1 usage, are increasing spending in large and extra large sizes.

“Large and extra large are growing because they’re getting a new consumer who now is introduced to their brand,” Classi-Zummo told Retail Brew.

“That XL is an entry point” for brands, Classi-Zummo said. “It’s not just about your consumer that’s evolving, but a totally new consumer that you might not have been in touch with for years”—or ever.

And how should brands roll out the welcome mat for these would-be new customers?

Focus on “size communication,” she said, providing details about silhouette and fit in stores, on labels, and online. Brands may want to seek out influencers with a range of body types to model their clothing, too, she said.

“‘So now I’m a new size, [and] I see this influencer is losing weight as well [and] she looks like my size,’” Classi-Zummo said. “Those videos provide a lot of information to consumers.”

The report estimated that 14% of US adults were using GLP-1 drugs as of this spring, and that by 2033 as much as 40% of US adults will have used the drugs.

The survey of US adults was conducted from March through May.