Consumer trends in 2025 highlight a growing focus on health and wellness, presenting significant opportunities for independent grocers to adapt and thrive. Shoppers are increasingly prioritizing fresh, nutritious products and personalized solutions, driving a shift in how food retailers approach their offerings.
Independent grocers, with their deep community connections and agility in meeting changing preferences, are uniquely positioned to capitalize on these trends by building on their strengths in fresh and health-focused options.
At the same time, consumers are taking a multifaceted approach to achieving their health and wellness goals, combining dietary changes with emerging tools such as weight-loss medications. Two recent studies provide valuable insights into how these medications, including Ozempic and Wegovy, are influencing consumer behavior and reshaping the grocery landscape.
For example, users of GLP-1 drugs cut their spending on groceries by about 6 percent in the months after starting their medications – that’s about $416 a year, according to a study by Cornell University’s S.C. Johnson College of Business.
The study goes on to note that GLP-1 users in higher-income households – those earning more than $125,000 – have been seen to reduce grocery spending by 9 percent, or $690 annually.
But while their total spend was reduced, what’s more significant is the shift in their overall shopping behavior. The study notes that as shoppers who use weight-loss drugs bought fewer higher-calorie food products, they showed a “modest increase” in purchases of items such as fresh produce, yogurt and whole grains.
“[T]he composition of their grocery baskets becomes healthier more by cutting back on unhealthy items than by adding more healthy ones,” the Cornell study reports.
Similarly, Chicago-based insights company Circana – in its recent report, “The Ripple Effect of GLP-1s, Today and In the Future” – finds that users of weight-loss drugs make fewer food and beverage purchases during the first few months of usage and during the first year “change their spending habits significantly” before returning to their premedication baseline.
The study further revealed that weight-loss drug users boosted their spending in the produce and deli departments and on foods with added protein and less sugar, salt and carbs; and they spent less on frozen foods and center-store beverages. Additionally, GLP-1 users bought more drinkware, water filtration devices and gastrointestinal products, and fewer sleep remedies, analgesics, home health care products and foot care products.
Perhaps most significant for grocers, weight-loss drug users shifted their away-from-home food spending from quick-serve restaurants to grocery foodservice, as well as casual dining and midscale restaurants.
How should grocery retailers respond to these findings?
Grocers can help educate consumers on balanced nutrition and guide them toward products that support their weight-loss goals. Fresh department leaders can work with retail dietitians, in-store pharmacists and even local healthcare providers to create personalized solutions, including recipes and meal plans. And retailers can collaborate with their wholesalers and CPG suppliers to make sure products in their aisles are meeting these evolving consumer needs.
These evolving dynamics underscore the importance of understanding consumer health goals and adapting product offerings to meet their needs, giving independent grocers a unique opportunity to lead the way in this health-centric era.
Looking for more ideas on how to make fresh work better for you?
The upcoming NGA Fresh Summit, June 16-18 in Milwaukee, will bring together industry experts and grocers to explore product insights and strategies for merchandising and shopper engagement. These sessions – aimed at store operations and merchandising leaders in produce, meat, dairy, deli, bakery and foodservice – will provide actionable insights designed to enhance your fresh departments and set your store apart in a crowded marketplace.
It’s a chance to connect with industry peers, align with current nutritional trends and explore the latest innovations shaping the future of grocery. By continuing to prioritize fresh, independent grocers can solidify their role as trusted partners in their customers’ pursuit of health and wellness.
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