A recent PWC study found that the apparel category to be driving huge benefits from GLP-1 drugs, with spending on the category increasing 9.9 percent within a six-to eight-month period after users start taking the drug. The impact on fitness is more mixed, with cardio activities experiencing healthy increases from GLP-1 adoption, but group fitness and strength training have seen little benefit. 

PWC’s survey, taken from May 4-9, 2026, included 3,089 consumers consisting of 1,063 GLP-1 users, 1,010 lapsed GLP-1 users and 1,016 considering using GLP-1s 

In the study, an article by Ali Furman, consumer markets industry leader at PwC US, wrote: “Apparel is one of the most directionally positive spend stories correlated to GLP-1 drug use.”  

According to the survey, 73 percent of users report a “meaningful change” in clothing size, and 26 percent said they are spending more on clothing overall. 

Furman wrote, “As people start to feel different in their bodies, they often start dressing differently and treating themselves to higher-quality, more expensive brands. Spending on women’s jeans is up 66.1 percent, swimwear 31.1 percent, dresses 22.1 percent, and jewelry 36.4 percent.” 

At the same time, however, PwC’s study shows GLP-1 users are also dropping sizes faster than they’re committing to new wardrobes, often because they don’t know if the weight will stay off or whether further reductions will continue. 

Furman said, “That hesitation is a headwind and an opening. Shifting size distributions can complicate merchandise planning, demand forecasting, and size curve assumptions. Buyers can no longer assume last season’s size mix will match next season’s demand. But the brands that pull ahead will make it easier to shop during the transition, not just after it. Think flexible fits, generous exchange and alteration policies, styling support, and loyalty programs that reward customers for coming back as their size changes.” 

Regarding fitness, the survey found cardio to be the most active category for current users. Of the GLP-1 users surveyed, 36 percent have increased the frequency of walking, running, cycling, and swimming, versus 16 percent who have reduced it, and 15 percent use wearables to manage their health on the medication. 

Group fitness, by contrast, is “under pressure,” with 14 percent of current GLP-1 users having decreased the frequency of classes, while only 11 percent have increased it. Strength training is likewise mixed, with 21 percent of GLP-1 users having increased the time spent on strength training, 17 percent having decreased it and 41 percent having never done it at all. 

Furman believes gyms and brands in the fitness space are missing a “growth opportunity” in touting the benefits of strength training and group classes by bringing in GLP-1 users. She wrote, “If gyms, boutique studios, connected fitness platforms, and even apparel brands can guide first-time strength trainers through programs built around personalization and muscle preservation, not just weight loss, they may be well positioned to reach a new group of users actively looking for help.” 

Other findings found from the survey: 

  • GLP-1 adoption is quickly expanding: GLP-1 adoption has more than doubled in 16 months. Twenty-one percent of U.S. households now include a GLP-1 user, up from 9 percent in January 2025, based on PwC analysis of data from Numerator, and 54 percent of surveyed users have been on the drugs for over one year, up from 38 percent in 2024. Of current users, 37 percent are now taking GLP-1s for weight loss alone, up from 24 percent in 2024. 
  • Adoption is broad: GLP-1 usage is flat across income levels, nearly equal between men and women, and led by Gen X, with usage spanning every generation that has purchasing power. 
  • Spending is rebalancing across grocery categories: Amid the gains in apparel, per-household grocery spend is down 5.5 percent as users swap snacks, sugary drinks, and alcohol for fresh produce, protein, and supplements. Categories that have seen gains among GLP-1 users include Greek yogurt, up 6.8 percent; jerky, 7.9 percent; nutrition bars, 3 percent to 4 percent; and energy drinks, 7.0 percent. 
  • Spending down at QSRs: Spending on quick-service restaurants (QSRs) is down 8.7 percent per GLP-1 household after six to eight months, with pizza down 22.2 percent, chicken down 11.6 percent, coffee/bakery down 8.0 percent, burgers down 6.4 percent, and sandwich/delis down 4.5 percent. 
  • Lack of support: Roughly 85 percent of current users said companies are falling short in meeting the needs of GLP-1 users. Eighty percent of current users and 74 percent of lapsed users surveyed are piecing together their own routines with supporting products. PwC’s survey found GLP-1 users are prioritizing affordable pricing, trustworthy information, and “one place that brings it together” as far as go-forward strategies for adjusting to the changes caused by GLP-1 usage. Only 23 percent feel well-supported by wellness platforms – the digital apps, subscriptions, and connected services designed to coordinate nutrition, fitness, mental health, and overall well-being. 

Furman concluded, “While there is no average GLP-1 consumer. What many have in common is the lack of an integrated support system. To address that gap, retailers can bundle GLP-1-aligned nutrition, supplements, and apparel into curated assortments and subscription formats. CPG brands can build portfolios designed to work together across a users day or week, with a variety of integrated products. Fitness operators and wellness platforms can integrate nutrition, fitness, and mental health support in one place, directly addressing the strength-training gap users are calling out. Brands across these categories can deliver the personalized, coordinated experience users say they’re missing.” 

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