The holidays may still be a season of indulgence, but changing health priorities are influencing what makes it into the cart.
In Inmar’s holiday research, 37% of respondents said they or someone in their household was using a weight-loss supplement or appetite-control medication. Among those households, 38% expected smaller meals or portions, 35% anticipated different recipes or meals, and 30% expected to buy less food overall.
For food and beverage brands, that raises an important question: If consumers are eating differently, how should your holiday strategy change with them?
Download tactical one-page overviews of the GLP-1 Holiday Effect on Food, Beverage, and Across Categories, including new insights and strategies.
Get Inmar’s GLP-1 Holiday Effect category insights to see what’s changing across Food, Beverage and other categories—and uncover strategies your brand can activate this holiday season.
Wellness Is Changing What Shoppers Value
GLP-1 use is part of a broader shift toward more intentional holiday consumption.
Consumers aren’t necessarily abandoning holiday favorites. But they may be making different tradeoffs around portions, ingredients and nutritional benefits—creating opportunities for products that deliver protein, hydration, portion control or lower sugar without sacrificing the traditions and occasions consumers value.
The opportunity: Understand which wellness priorities matter to your consumers and where your products can naturally fit into existing holiday occasions.
Smaller Appetites Could Shift Food and Snack Spend
Changing appetites could have significant implications for categories that traditionally benefit from holiday indulgence.
Research has already found GLP-1-related spending declines in categories including savory snacks, sweets, baked goods and cookies, while categories such as yogurt, nutrition bars and meat snacks have experienced gains.
That makes the role a product plays increasingly important. Protein-forward options, portionable formats and nutrient-dense products may have new opportunities across holiday snacking, entertaining, travel and gifting.
The opportunity: Look beyond category-level demand to understand which products, benefits and occasions may gain relevance as consumer needs change.
Beverages Have an Opportunity to Deliver More
Holiday travel, hosting and social occasions create plenty of beverage moments but consumers are increasingly considering what those beverages deliver.
Industry research points to growing interest in functional beverages, while GLP-1 households have shown shifts toward sports and energy drinks and away from soft drinks.
For beverage brands, benefits such as hydration, protein and lower sugar can create additional relevance across travel days, gatherings and everyday holiday routines.
The opportunity: Connect functional benefits to specific holiday occasions rather than relying on broad wellness positioning.
See What These Shifts Mean for Your Category
GLP-1 adoption is just one of the forces changing holiday shopping. Our latest research explores what consumers are planning across Food, Beverage and other key categories and what those changes could mean for marketers.
Complete the form to receive Inmar's GLP-1 Holiday Effect category overviews, featuring new consumer insights and actionable strategies across Food, Beverage and other key categories.
Want to go deeper? Complete the form and let us know if you would like to speak with an Inmar expert about what these shifts could mean for your category, audiences and holiday activation strategy.