Weight loss drugs are about to transform consumer behavior at unprecedented scale. Nearly a quarter of U.S. households already use GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound on either temporary or ongoing basis. But 2026 marks an inflection point as oral formulations hit the market, insurance coverage expands, and prices decline—removing the primary barriers that limited adoption.
Circana predicts that by 2030, 35% of food and beverage purchases and 37% of nonfood purchases will come from GLP-1 households if current trends continue. This isn’t a niche health trend—it’s a fundamental shift in how tens of millions of Americans eat, shop, and spend money.
The investment opportunity lies in identifying which companies benefit as consumer habits evolve. GLP-1 users don’t just eat less—they fundamentally change what they buy. Shopping carts shift toward fresh foods at grocery perimeters rather than packaged goods in center aisles. Restaurant preferences move toward protein-rich options with portion control. Spending on oral care and self-care products increases.
Four companies are positioned to capture disproportionate wallet share as GLP-1 adoption accelerates into mainstream consumer behavior.
Kroger Co. (KR)
Market Cap: ~$43 billion | Currently trading around $59
Kroger operates one of America’s largest grocery chains with over 2,700 stores across multiple banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, and Harris Teeter. The company’s traditional supermarket format positions it perfectly for the shift in shopping behavior driven by GLP-1 adoption.
GLP-1 users are buying more fresh foods from grocery store perimeters—exactly where traditional supermarkets excel compared to mass merchants or convenience stores. NielsenIQ data shows sales growing faster for items around the store perimeter where fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish are placed. This trend directly benefits grocers with strong fresh departments and perishables expertise.
Kroger has invested heavily in its fresh food operations, expanding organic offerings, improving produce quality, and enhancing meat and seafood departments. These investments position the company to capture spending as consumers shift away from packaged center-store items toward fresh perimeter categories.
The company’s private label brands provide another advantage. As GLP-1 users become more conscious about ingredients and nutrition, Kroger’s Simple Truth organic line and other wellness-focused private brands appeal to health-conscious shoppers seeking value. Private label penetration has been increasing across the grocery industry, and Kroger’s strong private brand portfolio should benefit from this acceleration.
Kroger’s digital capabilities have improved significantly with curbside pickup and delivery services that make healthy shopping more convenient. GLP-1 users prioritizing fresh foods benefit from being able to order online and pick up quickly, reducing impulse purchases of less healthy packaged goods.
The company also operates a growing healthcare business including pharmacy services and clinic partnerships. As GLP-1 medications become more widely prescribed and oral formulations launch, Kroger’s pharmacy footprint positions it to capture prescription revenue while also benefiting from the resulting shift in grocery spending patterns.
Kroger’s proposed merger with Albertsons (if approved) would create even stronger positioning in fresh foods and pharmacy services. The combined company would operate over 5,000 stores with enhanced scale advantages in fresh food procurement and distribution.
For investors seeking exposure to the GLP-1-driven shift toward healthier eating, Kroger offers a stable, dividend-paying stock positioned at the center of changing consumer behavior.
Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (SFM)
Market Cap: ~$12 billion | Currently trading around $142
Sprouts Farmers Market operates a differentiated grocery concept focused entirely on fresh, natural, and organic products. The chain’s 400+ stores are specifically designed around the health-conscious consumer—exactly the demographic most likely to adopt GLP-1 medications and maintain healthy eating habits.
The Sprouts format is essentially all perimeter, no center. The stores emphasize fresh produce, bulk foods, vitamins and supplements, and natural products rather than traditional packaged goods. This layout aligns perfectly with GLP-1 shopping patterns showing accelerated growth in fresh and refrigerated categories.
Goldman Sachs specifically called out Sprouts as a beneficiary of GLP-1 adoption trends. The company’s customer base already skews toward health-conscious shoppers, meaning Sprouts doesn’t need to transform its merchandising strategy—it simply benefits as more consumers adopt the shopping behaviors its stores were designed to serve.
Sprouts has been executing a successful expansion strategy, opening new stores in both existing and new markets. The company targets smaller store formats of around 30,000 square feet compared to traditional supermarkets of 50,000+ square feet, allowing for lower capital costs and faster expansion. Management has guided toward opening 30+ stores annually, providing significant square footage growth.
Same-store sales growth has consistently outpaced traditional grocers as Sprouts gains market share from larger competitors. The company’s differentiated positioning and focus on health and wellness create competitive advantages that are difficult for conventional supermarkets to replicate without completely reformatting their stores.
The product mix generates higher gross margins than traditional grocers, with particular strength in high-margin categories like vitamins, supplements, and bulk foods. As GLP-1 users increase spending on nutritional supplements and whole foods, Sprouts benefits from both traffic increases and favorable mix shift.
Sprouts’ smaller format and fresh-focused assortment also appeal to urban and suburban consumers seeking healthier options without navigating massive big-box stores. This convenience factor combined with health positioning creates a compelling value proposition for the growing GLP-1 user base.
The stock has performed exceptionally well as investors recognize the favorable positioning, but the growth runway remains substantial. With only 400 stores compared to thousands operated by conventional grocers, Sprouts has years of expansion opportunity ahead while also benefiting from accelerating same-store sales as GLP-1 adoption increases.
Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL)
Market Cap: ~$24 billion | Currently trading around $32
Hormel Foods produces branded protein products including Spam, Jennie-O turkey, Hormel pepperoni, and a growing portfolio of natural and organic protein brands. The company’s protein-focused product portfolio positions it to benefit as GLP-1 users prioritize protein consumption.
GLP-1 users are specifically seeking protein-rich foods to maintain muscle mass while losing weight. Circana’s research found that GLP-1 users prioritize protein-forward options and portion control—playing directly to Hormel’s strengths in convenient, portion-controlled protein products.
The company has been strategically pivoting toward faster-growing protein categories including fresh pork, turkey, and natural/organic meats through its Applegate brand. These products appeal to health-conscious consumers seeking minimally processed protein options without artificial ingredients—exactly the profile of typical GLP-1 users.
Hormel’s Jennie-O turkey business offers lean protein options that fit GLP-1 dietary patterns. Turkey products provide high protein with lower fat content compared to many other meats, aligning with the nutritional priorities of weight loss patients. The brand’s strong retail presence and foodservice penetration position it to capture both at-home and restaurant consumption.
The company’s foodservice business provides another growth avenue as restaurants adapt menus for GLP-1 users. Goldman Sachs research noted that casual dining chains are benefiting from GLP-1 users who perceive more nutrient-rich options at these concepts. Hormel’s foodservice products including bacon, pepperoni, and other proteins are well-positioned for protein-forward menu innovations.
Hormel generates significant cash flow supporting a dividend yield around 3.5%, providing income while investors wait for GLP-1 trends to fully impact results. The company has increased its dividend for 58 consecutive years, demonstrating remarkable consistency through multiple consumer trend cycles.
The stock has underperformed in recent years as input cost inflation pressured margins and volume growth stagnated. But this weakness may have created opportunity as GLP-1 adoption accelerates. If protein consumption increases among the growing GLP-1 user base, Hormel’s branded protein portfolio should see improving volume trends that surprise investors expecting continued weakness.
Management has been investing in innovation around protein snacking, clean-label products, and convenient protein solutions—all categories that align with GLP-1 dietary patterns. These investments position Hormel to capture wallet share as consumers restructure eating habits around higher protein intake.
Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN)
Market Cap: ~$20 billion | Currently trading around $58
Tyson Foods operates as America’s largest meat processor, producing beef, pork, and chicken products for both retail and foodservice channels. The company’s scale advantages in protein production position it to benefit from increased protein consumption driven by GLP-1 adoption.
Like Hormel, Tyson benefits from the protein-forward dietary shift among GLP-1 users. But Tyson’s advantages come from different sources—primarily scale, vertical integration, and foodservice penetration rather than branded consumer products.
Tyson’s vertically integrated operations provide cost advantages that matter as consumers become more price-sensitive about protein purchases. The company controls breeding, raising, processing, and distribution of chicken products, creating efficiencies that smaller competitors cannot match. As protein consumption increases economy-wide, this scale advantage becomes more valuable.
The company’s foodservice business generates roughly half of total revenue, positioning Tyson to benefit as restaurants adapt menus for health-conscious consumers. Goldman Sachs noted that GLP-1 users still dine out but prioritize protein-rich entrees with portion control. Tyson’s products enable restaurants to offer these options profitably through chicken, beef, and pork products designed for foodservice applications.
Tyson has been investing in value-added protein products including pre-cooked chicken, portion-controlled servings, and convenience items that align with consumer trends. These higher-margin products provide better economics than commodity chicken while serving the growing demand for convenient, protein-rich foods.
The company’s retail brands including Tyson, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, and Ball Park face challenges from private label competition and changing consumer preferences. But the protein consumption trends driven by GLP-1 adoption could provide unexpected tailwinds as volume growth accelerates across the protein category.
Tyson’s global operations provide geographic diversification while maintaining focus on protein production. International markets show similar trends toward increased protein consumption as middle classes expand and dietary patterns evolve. This global positioning allows Tyson to capitalize on protein demand growth beyond just U.S. GLP-1 adoption.
The stock trades at depressed valuations following several years of margin pressure from grain cost inflation and oversupply conditions in chicken markets. But these cyclical headwinds may be creating opportunity for long-term investors. If GLP-1 adoption drives structural increases in protein demand, Tyson’s scale advantages and vertical integration should generate improving profitability as utilization increases.
Management has prioritized debt reduction and operational improvements to position the company for the next growth cycle. These initiatives should enhance operating leverage when protein demand accelerates, allowing margins to expand more quickly than in previous cycles.
The GLP-1 Consumer Shift
These four stocks represent different approaches to capitalizing on GLP-1-driven consumer behavior changes. Kroger and Sprouts benefit from grocery shopping shifts toward fresh perimeter categories. Hormel and Tyson capture increased protein consumption as GLP-1 users prioritize protein-rich diets.
The common thread is positioning ahead of structural changes in consumer spending patterns. This isn’t a temporary diet fad—GLP-1 medications are becoming mainstream treatment for obesity and related conditions. As oral formulations launch and insurance coverage expands, adoption will accelerate beyond early adopters into mass market consumers.
By 2030, over one-third of food and nonfood purchases could come from GLP-1 households. This massive shift in consumer behavior will create winners and losers across consumer staples and restaurants. Companies without healthy options or fresh food expertise will struggle as wallet share shifts toward competitors better aligned with GLP-1 dietary patterns.
For investors, the opportunity is identifying companies positioned to gain share as these trends unfold. Traditional packaged food companies face headwinds. Center-store grocery categories will struggle. But grocers with fresh food strength, protein producers, and health-focused retailers should see accelerating growth as GLP-1 adoption reaches critical mass.
These four stocks offer exposure to different aspects of the GLP-1 opportunity while maintaining the stability of established consumer companies with proven operations. The trend is just beginning to impact results, creating potential for multi-year outperformance as the market recognizes their positioning.
