In recent years, as diabetes and weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wigovy have become more popular, many people have turned away from established diets and nutritional products.
Now, two retailers specializing in dietary supplements, GNC and The Vitamin Shoppe, are trying new approaches to attract people who take or are interested in these medications.
GNC has dedicated supplement walls in its more than 2,300 stores to products it believes will appeal to people who take Ozempic, which contains a compound called semaglutide, and other drugs known as GLP-1 drugs. The chain also trains employees to help customers evaluate which substances can help manage common side effects of prescription drugs.
GNC CEO Michael Costello said the company believes it has a “huge avenue” to help individuals who take such drugs for weight loss.
“We were looking at people's trends and where people were going and Ozempic, and obviously Wigoby and other GLP-1s, started blowing up,” Costello said in an interview. “We found that many of these drugs have serious side effects.”
The exact number of Americans taking Ozempic and similar drugs for weight loss is unclear, but Costello estimates that up to 70 million Americans will try the drug by 2028. He mentioned a study by Goldman Sachs.
GNC believes it can expand its weight management category through this initiative. Currently, less than 10% of his sales come from GNC's weight management products, but he says his sales in this category have recently increased by more than 20%.
Retailers, food companies, and other businesses all need to understand how Ozempic and similar medicines can harm or benefit their businesses, and what they should do in response. I'm trying.
Walmart, a major pharmacy business, announced in October that it had found that people taking GLP-1 drugs were purchasing slightly less food than other customers. Executives at Nestlé, the world's largest food company, had expressed optimism the previous month that consumers were taking notice of the company's Lean Cuisine meals, saying it was “just the kind of medicine people are taking.” “It's something you're going to eat.” Additionally, health club chains Lifetime Fitness and Equinox offer tailored training programs for people taking medications.
GNC executives said they have assembled more than 20 products that can be used to treat common side effects such as occasional fatigue, nutritional deficiencies, low bone density, and loss of muscle mass. Some of these products are already on sale, while others are new to the retailer. Supplements include once-daily multivitamins for women, ginger root capsules, and chocolate lean shakes. A sign listing side effects hangs on the wall, alongside shelves of supplements to help alleviate them.
None of the supplements in the GNC Reconstituted Store are specifically made for users of new weight loss drugs and have not been clinically tested. Medical experts say most people can get all the nutrients they need from a balanced diet. Additionally, experts say some supplements may be ineffective and cause their own side effects.
“Most patients don't need supplements,” says Dr. Maria Daniela Hurtado Andrade, an assistant professor at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, whose research focuses on reducing obesity. She also treats patients taking GLP-1 drugs.
Executives at the retail chain said they consulted with outside doctors, toxicologists, nutritionists and other experts to carefully select the assortments on display.
“All recommendations GNC makes regarding GLP-1 support are consistent with the scientific evidence, the results of consultation with physicians, and consideration of qualified expert positions on the subject,” GNC said in a statement. Rachel Jones, chief product innovation and science officer, said in a statement.
Some retailers are going a step further. The Vitamin Shoppe has partnered with WellSync, a telemedicine company that accepts prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs. It's the first time that The Vitamin Shoppe, which was founded in 1977, is collaborating with another company to offer customers more drug choices, and a sign of how seriously retail executives are taking Ozempic and its affiliates.
“I think there's no doubt that we've seen people say, 'If this isn't what you offer, we're going to look elsewhere,'” Lee Wright, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe, said in an interview. He spoke at .
A survey of more than 1,500 customers by The Vitamin Shoppe found that 40% of respondents were “very” or “very likely” to use telehealth services offered by the retail chain. Did. Wright said learning that some employees at the store were already taking the GLP-1 drug helped convince him to work with WellSync.
The Vitamin Shoppe keeps you at arm's length from the evaluation and prescription process, which includes an online questionnaire about your medical history and goals, and in some cases, a live video interview with a licensed health care provider. (One of the questions is about her BMI.) WellSync will manage that process, including working with your clinician. The companies have created a subscription service called Whole Health Rx that starts at $219.
To lure people back to the chain, The Vitamin Shoppe is offering subscribers a $25 coupon to use in-store or on its website.
Like GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe is highlighting products such as protein powder in its stores to attract people seeking Ozempic and similar medications. By early May, Vitamin Shoppe and its sister brand Super Supplements will have displays in all 700 stores advertising the telehealth partnership and providing a QR code directing consumers to the telehealth portal.
The supplement market related to GLP-1 is very new. No significant trials have tested the effectiveness of such products in relieving the discomfort associated with drug use. Some doctors also say that many of the common side effects of weight loss drugs can be easily managed and reduced over time, reducing the need for long-term supplement use.
For example, Dr. Hurtado-Andrade said that instead of recommending probiotic supplements that contain live microorganisms such as bacteria, she encourages patients to eat foods containing those microorganisms, such as yogurt or kefir. After a detailed evaluation, she said, in some cases, she recommended protein shakes, powders and supplements to patients who weren't getting enough protein.
“I think having medical supervision is very important because it can truly alleviate or reduce the incidence of serious side effects that can occur if patients are not closely monitored,” Hurtado said.・Dr. Andrade said.
GNC and Vitamin Shoppe executives said their employees, whom they call health enthusiasts and coaches, are not replacing medical professionals. Executives also said the company's approach and strategy was developed in consultation with employee nutritionists.
“We don't want health enthusiasts to take action,” said the Vitamin Shoppe's Wright. “They are not doctors. They are not trying to provide medical advice at all.”
GNC's Costello said his company's employees are trained to be empathetic to challenges. To that end, he encouraged retail workers to watch Oprah Winfrey's recent Ozempic feature. The company also instructs people to ask “lifestyle questions” before pointing out supplements, such as “What are your goals?” “What are you currently doing to achieve your goals?”
Dr. Hurtado Andrade said that's all well and good, but she's concerned that retail workers don't have as much information as medical professionals about how to interpret and treat symptoms. To do that, she said, you need to know what questions to ask, and that's what trained health workers and health care providers are trained to do.
“I don't think retailers have the ability to think about what questions they need to ask to close that gap and understand what diarrhea and other side effects are related to.” she said.
But these concerns are unlikely to stop retailers and supplement manufacturers from penetrating deeper into a market that many analysts believe will grow rapidly.
Four years ago, before Ozempic became a blockbuster drug, Los Angeles-based Supergut began selling prebiotic supplements that feed microbes. The company marketed these products, such as shakes and snack bars, as a way to help people control their blood sugar levels.
Two years ago, Supergut began highlighting the potential benefits of its products for gut health, dedicating a section on its website to GLP-1 drugs.
“This is a way to connect with consumers,” said Mark Washington, CEO of Supergut. “We are very relevant to this period and this Ozempic era,” he added.
Sales have quadrupled in the past six months. GNC is stocking Super Gut on shelves in the GLP-1 section of its stores, marking the first time the brand has been sold at a national chain. Washington said he is also in talks with other national retailers.