Ozempic Impacts Shopping Behavior, Says Walmart

Customers taking the weight loss drug reportedly spending less on food.

October 10, 2023

Walmart reports that it is already seeing an impact in food-shopping demand in people taking diabetes drug Ozempic, Wegovy and other appetite suppressing medications, according to Bloomberg News.

“We definitely do see a slight change compared to the total population, we do see a slight pullback in overall basket,” John Furner, the chief executive officer of Walmart’s United States operation, said in an interview. “Just less units, slightly less calories.”

The retailer is studying sales patterns through anonymized data on shopper populations. It can compare the purchasing changes among those taking the drugs to the habits of those not taking the drug.

In the interview, Furner stated that it’s too early to draw definitive conclusions about the appetite-suppressing drugs.

According to Bloomberg, an increasing number of CEOs and investors are discussing how the weight-loss drugs may change the economy and business. Kellanova CEO Steve Cahillane said that the company is studying how the medications may impact dietary behaviors.

“Like everything that potentially impacts our business, we’ll look at it, study it and, if necessary, mitigate,” said Cahillane.

Walmart sells GLP-1 drugs, including Ozempic, through its pharmacies. In August, the company said that the sales of the drugs were giving the retailer a revenue boost.

Doug McMillon, Walmart CEO, said in August, “We still expect food, consumables and health and wellness primarily due to the popularity of some GLP-1 drugs to grow as a percent of total in the back half.”