Shelf control

The diet crazes of the 1990s and early 2000s were so palpable, they swayed not only millions of people into joining in but led to a swathe of changes in diet and consumption habits. The Guardian reported in 2013 on the “low-fat, light, lean, diet, zero, low-carb, low-cal, sugar-free, ‘healthy’ options, marketed to the very people made fat by the previous aisle and now desperate to lose weight.”

Not only were the dieting brands themselves – the likes of SlimFast, Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig – key to changing consumer habits, but FMCG brands started to change too. The food ranges focusing on weight loss, specific diets like the Atkins or low-carb diet, and generally healthy options proliferated. The irony was often that the diet brands were actually owned by the likes of Nestlé and KraftHeinz.

Then, the Guardian quoted obesity expert, professor Philip James saying, “Oh, let us be very clear. If you have a drug that drops your weight and doesn’t do you any other harm in terms of side-effects, that is a multibillion megabuck drug.”

Fast forward 13 years and bam: GLP-1s enter the arena. One in every 10 adults in Great Britain has either used a drug to support weight loss in the past year, or would like to use one soon, according to a study by the University College of London. That huge demographic is comprised of people who would be the same target audience that the dieters of the ’90s were. And the drugs are real.

“Ozempic and its ilk are changing the way people feel about indulgence”

The only thing left to change is the food people find on the shelf. And, as fast as the giant food conglomerates can adapt, they most certainly are.

But brands must carefully consider their communications strategies. “To win in the GLP-1 era, big food brands need to position themselves as part of the solution, not the problem,” says Katie Chlada, managing director and head of strategic communications and advisory services at M+C Saatchi SSK. “The challenge is that the unhealthy options are usually consumers’ first choice because they are more affordable, accessible and appealing. Big Food brands now must take those value propositions and meet consumers where they are in their GLP-1 journey and position themselves as part of a holistic lifestyle plan that will help individuals reach their desired health goals.”

The same dilemma exists for food companies as it did in previous decades. “There’s a circular tension here that brands can’t ignore. Food companies have been criticised for engineering highly processed, addictive products. Pharmaceutical companies are now engineering medical solutions to counteract the physical consequences,” says Ben Cleaver, founder of business coach and consultancy Big Small.

The mass market is still churning out the products that contribute to weight problems. And then pushing people to solve it by simply buying this new product or that new range. Oh, and getting a prescription for a GLP-1 along the way.

Cleaver says Ozempic and its ilk are changing the way people feel about indulgence. Consumers may be eating less, so brands have to improve their quality, experience and intention, making snacking an ‘earned’ reward and thereby building a stronger emotional connection with the consumer. Gemma Atkinson-Brown, associate strategy director at communications consultancy Bray Leino agrees. “The brands that navigate this moment best will be those that understand a simple truth: optimisation has limits – and in a culture, increasingly defined by control, small moments of joy may become more – not less – valuable.”

This isn’t the first time that companies have had to change the way they communicate with their audiences around food consumption habit changes. The rise of veganism led to a swift shift on the part of many big brands to introduce plant-based alternatives, vegetarian options and generally disclose more about what is in their food.

Similarly, the soft drink industry levy brought in a regulatory change that prompted a market shift. The levy saw the price of full-sugar soft drinks rise. This gave brands the option of either changing their tried-and-tested recipes or introducing low-sugar or zero sugar alternatives. Tesco acted quickly in 2018, becoming the first retailer to reformulate all its own-brand soft drinks to come in below the levy limit. But the likes of Coca-Cola and Irn-Bru – those with brand heritage and reputation to protect – relied on sub-brands like Coke Zero or Irn-Bru Sugar Free to offer cheaper alternatives to the now more costly traditional recipes.

“Companies should focus on making honest claims about their products without stretching the truth”

But the rise of GLP-1s is resulting in a more conservative approach on the part of brands, despite the massive numbers of medication users in the UK and beyond. The sugar levy was a regulatory change, and vegan products are clearer and easier to signpost on an already crowded product pack.

Patrick Young is managing director of PRS In Vivo, a research consultancy focusing on packaging, shopper experience, and new products testing rooted in behavioral science. “This is about signalling something quite different because it is this sort of combination of a smaller product size to deal with your changing appetite, but also perhaps the actual formulation is better for you in terms of making you feel full or making it all the right ingredients,” he says. That’s a complicated message to get across in a tiny space. And, making that message stand out on a shelf with products angling for attention complicates matters further.

Vicky Bullen, CEO of brand agency Coley Porter Bell, says brands need to be smarter about how they’re perceived by shoppers. “People are still going to purchase snack foods, albeit in moderation, but as weight-loss treatments and health concerns become more prevalent in our minds, customers will look for the brands that are the least unhealthy option.” She says companies should focus on making honest claims about their products without stretching the truth.

There are, however, some early shifts taking place in the market, and supermarket, across the US and UK. Nestlé in the US was the first major player to introduce a product range designed specifically for GLP-1 users. Vital Pursuit was crafted to pack a high protein punch into a portion-controlled size, along with fibre and a good nutrient balance. “The new line is also well-suited to support a balanced diet for anyone on a weight management journey,” said a Nestlé press release.

Steve Presley, CEO of Nestlé North America, said in the same release: “At Nestlé we want to be there for every moment in our consumers’ lives – today and in the future. As the use of medications to support weight loss continues to rise, we see an opportunity to serve those consumers. Vital Pursuit provides accessible, great-tasting food options that support the needs of consumers in this emerging category. We’re leveraging our deep understanding of consumers and nutritional science to stay ahead of the trends that are shaping consumer behaviours, and innovating across our portfolio to deliver products people will love.”

Products hit the shelves at the end of 2024, with a promise to expand the offering and continue developing new foods based on consumer need. The range features familiar favourites like pasta bowls, pizzas and sandwich melts. The pack itself proudly displays a ‘GLP-1 friendly’ flag.

“People taking these medications not only have a decreased appetite, but they must adjust their diets with a sharper focus on smaller portions, while also prioritising beneficial nutrients for their health,” said Marlene Schmidt a registered dietitian and senior health and wellness manager at Nestlé in a press release. “To complement these eating habits, we’re striving to take the guesswork out of mealtime with thoughtfully portioned, nutritious, accessible options.”

Chlada praises this clear and upfront approach. “Clear communication of health benefits, clean-label credentials and sustainable sourcing practices will be essential to resonating with the broader health and wellness consumer as well as those working to sustain weight loss over the long term on a GLP-1,” she says.

The move was a clear flag in the sand on the part of Nestlé to lead the way in GLP-1 food products. Other FMCG brands have been slower to act. Young says brands may be slow to react. A number of factors including corporate inertia, a reluctance to change existing product ranges or hesitation around the staying power of GLP-1s affecting consumption patterns may be at work.

“The strongest businesses aren’t predicting perfectly; they’re adapting quickly once a shift becomes meaningful and commercially viable”

Supermarkets have been more agile thus far. Marks & Spencer (M&S) and Morrisons have both launched new ranges that respond to the changing landscape. M&S’s minimal ingredients and nutrient rich ranges are a move to showcasing whole food products and promoting transparency over what people are eating.

Morrisons has partnered with Applied Nutrition, a health and lifestyle product producer, to create a GLP-1 supportive range, Small & Balanced. With similar badging as Nestlé’s products, the range focuses on tasty, nutrient-rich foods. The range flexes from high-protein to alternative diets to GLP-1 foods, building in a sense of breadth, agility and potential longevity. Launching in January 2026, Lizzy Massey, own brand director at Morrisons said in a release, “The new range has been carefully designed with their expert team to help supplement customers’ nutrition while on their fitness and weight loss journeys and we’re delighted to welcome the broad range to Morrisons, offering our shoppers even more choice, at great value.”

Building in a sense of longevity may serve the UK supermarkets well in their new pursuits. Because not only will the minimal ingredients options at M&S – with their attractive, rustic labels – appeal to those looking for healthier options for medical dietary reasons, but they will also catch the attention of everyday shoppers seeking wholefoods, healthy ingredients and trusted transparency.

Because, Young and other experts agree, the GLP-1 boom may not last forever. In fact, the reluctance and slow response on the part of FMCG brands may simply be because consumption habits haven’t yet necessitated a change. Those using the drugs might be eating less, but they might still be opting for their reliable favourites on the shelf.

Because it is notoriously difficult to change consumer patterns at the supermarket. PRS Invivo studies consumer behaviour in supermarkets to advise brands on product design, branding and communications. Young says: “I think there’s there is that balance between investing in this, and launching, potentially and supporting a new brand versus the potential payoff. Brands are also trying to understand if this is a trend that we will see for the long term.”

He points to the shift away from vegan and plant-based options, as consumers eschew highly processed meat alternatives. Vegan ranges are losing shelf space as companies are once again speaking “proudly about meat in their ranges.”

Consumers are undoubtedly putting more attention on what’s in their food. That’s why the M&S range will be one to watch, Young says. “Shoppers are putting more scrutiny on their products. We might see snacking brands start to address that.”

The diets of decades past have left their legacies on today’s shoppers, no doubt. There are still countless claims of ‘low fat,’ or ‘protein-rich’ made on packs of all kinds today. But the fervour with which companies took to those diets may have proved educational as they approach this new medical-assisted weight loss trend.

“While the long-term behavioural impact of GLP-1 drugs remains uncertain, manufacturers, retailers and hospitality operators are clearly sizing down and optimising for nutrition. That suggests they see this not as a short-term spike, but as a structural shift in how some consumers are eating,” says Callum Saunders, planning director of marketing agency Zeal Creative. “Food trends have always ebbed and flowed, from organic and low-fat to plant-based more recently. The strongest businesses aren’t predicting perfectly; they’re adapting quickly once a shift becomes meaningful and commercially viable.”

Will they follow the Nestlé and Morrisons example and badge their products proudly for GLP-1 users? Or will the signal be subtler, but no less impactful, with a focus on holistic healthy eating habits? It may come down to introspection on the part of the brand and its traditional consumers’ preferences.

In the first instance, bold, on-pack claims help signal intent and directly signpost shoppers to the right products. In the second, brands will have to rely on healthy eating-educated consumers, with less reliance on on-pack messaging. There’s no right or wrong, simply a decision to make. A fork in the road. One that may lead to a smaller, more nutrient-rich plate.