The arrival of pill-form GLP-1 weight loss medication could trigger a major shift in UK grocery spending, with snacks, confectionery and crisps among the categories most exposed.

New PwC research has found that GLP-1 medicines are already changing how millions of shoppers eat, drink and spend, with the potential for adoption to accelerate sharply once pill formats become more widely available.

Around nine per cent of UK adults have used a GLP-1 medication at some point, while a further 18 per cent said they would consider doing so in the future.

PwC estimates that the introduction of pill-form treatments could more than double current UK uptake, increasing the number of users from around 3m to 7m. This would equate to roughly 13 per cent of UK adults.

The shift could have significant implications for supermarkets and suppliers, particularly those reliant on impulse, indulgence and appetite-led purchases.

PwC’s report found that around 70 per cent of GLP-1 users are spending less on categories such as snacks, confectionery and crisps, as the medication reduces appetite and changes cravings.

Meanwhile, 40 per cent of users said they were spending more on products linked to nutrition, fitness and confidence, including vitamins and supplements.

The findings suggest GLP-1 use is not simply reducing grocery spend, but reallocating it towards different categories.

PwC Strategy& partner and head of retail Jacqueline Windsor said GLP-1 had become “the most consumerised medication today”.

She said: “While treatment decisions remain grounded in clinical need and professional guidance, growing awareness and adoption mean that patients are increasingly considering factors such as brand, value, efficacy, convenience and trust.

“Users express renewed confidence and energy that are shaping their demand for nutritious food, fitness routine and wardrobe refresh, which represent a basket reallocation rather than reduction of spend.

“Who your GLP-1 customers are, and how your category changes, will dictate how brands and retailers compete.”

The research also found that many habits continue after treatment ends, with more than 80 per cent of former users saying they had maintained at least some of the dietary and grocery changes adopted while taking GLP-1s.

The findings follow recent Worldpanel by Numerator data which found that grocery spend by GLP-1 user households had fallen by £780m, with 299m fewer packs purchased across the analysis period.

That research found that households using weight loss medication spent £418 less on groceries than non-user households, underlining the scale of the pressure facing parts of the food and drink market.

For grocers, the rise of GLP-1 medication creates both risk and opportunity. Categories built around frequency, grazing and larger portion sizes may come under sustained pressure, while high-protein, nutrient-dense, smaller portion and functional products could benefit from changing shopper behaviour.

Retailers are already beginning to respond, with greater attention being paid to fresh food, healthier ranges, protein-led innovation and clearer product signposting.

Windsor said consumer-facing businesses would need to adjust as GLP-1 adoption grows.

“We’ll see consumer businesses reshape their portfolios to manage near-term risk, innovate to capture changing preferences, and collaborate across the wider GLP-1 ecosystem to better serve customers,” she said.

As the medication moves further into the mainstream, the impact is likely to stretch beyond healthcare and into the weekly shop.

For supermarkets and suppliers, the question is no longer whether GLP-1 use will affect grocery spending. It is how quickly they can adapt their ranges, formats and marketing to a shopper whose appetite, basket and priorities may look very different.

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