According to NIQ’s latest On-Premise User Survey (OPUS), 5% of adults in Britain are currently using weight loss drugs, while a further 9% have used them in the past year and another 5% have done so before that. In other words, nearly one in five people has engaged with GLP-1s at some time.
Usage is tilted towards older consumers. Just over half (53%) of users are aged 25 to 44, while 37% are 45 or older and only one in ten (10%) are 24 or younger. Crucially for hospitality, users also tend to be regular visitors to pubs, bars and restaurants. Well over half (57%) go out for food at least once a week – 20 percentage points more than average, and 48% drink out at the same rate.
What it means for the On- and Off-Premise
This indicates that some of hospitality’s most engaged consumers are modifying their diets. Nearly all (95%) GLP-1 users say their weight loss medicines have impacted their behaviour in some way, and 29% of them are either drinking less alcohol than before or drinking more slowly. Meanwhile, NIQ’s Consumer Panel shows households with a user are typically spending about 5% less on FMCG.
These changes have major implications for how people allocate their spending. More than a quarter of GLP-1 users say they are ordering more nutritious dishes (29%) or choosing lower-calorie options (28%) now. Nearly as many are skipping starters or desserts (28%) or ordering starters or small plates instead of a main course (27%). They are looking more closely at ingredients as well, with 26% avoiding food types like carbs or fried food, and 22% swerving ultra-processed items. In the Off-Premise, users are sharply reducing volumes of items like alcohol, crisps and confectionery.
New habits are creating winners and losers in On-Premise channels and categories. For example, around a third of users have cut their frequencies in fast food restaurants (34%) and food pubs (31%), but cafes and coffee shops have been less affected so far. Meanwhile, many say they are cutting their wine, cocktail and spirit intake, but around a quarter have increased their consumption of soft and hot drinks.
How to meet the new needs
These numbers show that while GLP-1s are creating challenges for hospitality, there are opportunities too. For venues, flexible menus are key to catering for changing habits. It’s also important to remember that users are also paying attention to wider health and wellness issues, and more than a third 35% of them strongly agree they like to keep up to date with trends, 16 percentage points more than average.
As take-up of GLP-1 medicines increases, impacts on hospitality are sure to rise. But it’s clear that while users are adapting their habits, they don’t want to stop eating and drinking out. Helping them modify their orders, through options like smaller or less calorific plates or lower alcohol drinks, is going to be essential to sustain appeal.
NIQ’s powerful combination of On- and Off-Premise research provides operators and suppliers with The Full View of vital trends including GLP-1 impacts. To learn more, contact Daisy.Yates@nielseniq.com.
Adapt with intention
As these intentions become more widespread, this shift opens the door to fresh opportunities. Discover more on how to stay ahead in this fast-changing landscape.
