Shoppers at major UK supermarkets including Aldi, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, and Lidl are saving up to £400 a year on groceries thanks to two medications: Wegovy and Mounjaro. According to a new study by Numerator, users of GLP-1 drugs are reducing their grocery spending significantly.
Study Reveals Significant Savings
The research found that households with at least one GLP-1 user spend £418 less on groceries annually compared to non-user households. This translates to a total reduction of £780 million in grocery spending across all such households in the UK. The number of households using these drugs has risen sharply, from 2.3% in 2024 to 4% in 2025, and now 6% in 2026.
Expert Insights on the Trend
Chantel Kennaugh, head of public sector and nutrition GB for Worldpanel by Numerator, commented: “What was once a specialised treatment, primarily prescribed for type 2 diabetes, has in just a few short years become a mainstream force. Now, 68% of users are taking GLP-1s specifically to lose weight, opening them up to a much wider audience.”
However, not all experts are enthusiastic. Sonia Pombo, head of research and impact at Action on Salt and Sugar, warned: “Weight-loss drugs are not, and must never be treated as, a substitute for a strong, effective food policy. Depending on GLP-1s to counter the harms of an unhealthy food environment is simply putting a plaster on a system that continues to generate ill health.”
Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, added: “It is not a commonsense approach for the government to continue to let children grow up in environments flooded with unhealthy options, only to rely on medicines later in life to address the harm. We should not accept a system where the food industry drives obesity and the pharmaceutical industry is left to pick up the pieces. Childhood obesity is preventable. Stronger action, from reformulating food and restricting junk food advertising aimed at children to setting targets for companies to reduce sales of unhealthy processed products, can help create healthier environments and better outcomes.”
The study underscores the growing impact of GLP-1 drugs on consumer behaviour and the food industry, forcing brands to adapt rapidly to changing shopping patterns.
