As diabetes and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy took off in recent years, many people turned away from established diet and nutrition products.
Now two retailers that specialize in nutritional supplements – GNC and the Vitamin Shoppe – are trying new approaches to win over people who use or are interested in these drugs.
GNC dedicates a wall of supplements in its more than 2,300 stores to products it thinks will appeal to people on Ozempic, which contains the compound semaglutide, and other medications known as GLP-1 drugs. The chain also trains employees to help customers assess which substances can help them manage the common side effects of those prescription medications.
Michael Costello, CEO of GNC, said his company saw a “big opening” in helping people who use such drugs to lose weight.
“As we were looking at the trends with people, where people are going, Ozempic and obviously Wegovy and other GLP-1s started blowing up,” Mr. Costello said in an interview. “We saw that many of these medications had significant side effects.”
It is not clear exactly how many Americans are using Ozempic and similar drugs to lose weight, but Mr. Costello referred to a Goldman Sachs study that estimates that about 70 million Americans will have tried the drugs by 2028.
GNC believes this push will allow it to expand its weight management category. Currently, less than 10 percent of GNC’s sales come from its weight management products, but recently sales in the category have grown by more than 20 percent.
Retailers, food companies and other businesses are all trying to figure out how Ozempic and similar drugs will hurt or help their businesses and what they should do in response.
In October, Walmart, which has a sizable pharmacy business, said it had seen people taking GLP-1 drugs buy slightly less food than other customers. The month before, an executive at Nestlé, the world’s largest food company, expressed optimism about consumers turning to their Lean Cuisine meals, which is “exactly what you would end up eating from these types of drugs.” And the fitness club chains Life Time Fitness and Equinox offer training programs tailored to people who use the drugs.
GNC executives said they had formulated more than two dozen products that could be used to treat common side effects, such as occasional fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, decreased bone density and loss of muscle mass. Some of these products have already been sold, but others are new to the retailer. The supplements include once-daily multivitamins for women, ginger root capsules and a low-fat chocolate shake. There are signs on the wall with side effects and shelves with supplements that can alleviate them.
None of the supplements GNC has in its reconfigured store are specifically made for or clinically tested on users of the new weight-loss drugs. Medical experts say most people can get all the nutrients they need from a well-balanced diet. Additionally, experts say some supplements may not be effective and can cause their own side effects.
“Most patients will not 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 medications.
Executives at the retail chains said they curated the range in their displays after consulting with outside doctors, toxicologists, nutritionists and other professionals.
“Any recommendations GNC makes for GLP-1 support are consistent with the scientific evidence base, the outcome of our consultation with physicians and the assessment of the views of qualified professionals on this topic,” said Rachel Jones, GNC’s head of product innovation and science. , in a statement. .
Some retailers have gone a step further. The Vitamin Shoppe has partnered with WellSync, a telehealth company that fills prescriptions for GLP-1 medications. It’s the first time the Vitamin Shoppe, founded in 1977, has partnered with another company to offer customers a pharmaceutical option — a sign of how seriously retail executives take Ozempic and its kin.
“I think there’s no question that we’ve seen people say, ‘Hey, if this isn’t something you offer, I’m going to look elsewhere,'” Lee Wright, CEO of the Vitamin Shoppe, said in an interview. .
In a Vitamin Shoppe survey of more than 1,500 customers, 40 percent of respondents said they were “extremely” or “very likely” to use a telehealth service the retailer offered. Mr. Wright said the fact that some employees in his stores were already taking GLP-1 medications convinced him to work with WellSync.
The Vitamin Shoppe distances itself from the evaluation and prescribing process, which includes an online questionnaire about medical history and goals and in some cases a live video interview with a licensed medical provider. (One of the questions is about body mass index.) WellSync manages that process, including collaboration with physicians. The companies have created a subscription service called Whole Health Rx, which starts at $219.
To bring people back to the chain, the Vitamin Shoppe is offering people who subscribe a $25 voucher to use in stores or on the website.
Like GNC, the Vitamin Shoppe highlights products such as protein powders at its locations to attract people who use Ozempic or similar medications. Beginning in May, Vitamin Shoppe and its sister brand, Super Supplements, will have displays in all 700 stores advertising their telehealth partnership and offering a QR code that directs consumers to the telehealth portal.
The market for supplements related to GLP-1 is fairly new. There have been no significant studies on the effectiveness of such products in relieving the discomfort associated with taking the medications. And some doctors say that many of the common side effects of weight loss medications can be easily managed or reduced over time, reducing the need for long-term supplement use.
Dr. For example, Hurtado Andrade said that instead of recommending probiotic supplements, which contain live microorganisms such as bacteria, she encourages her patients to eat foods that contain these microorganisms, such as yogurt or kefir. After a detailed review, in some cases she has recommended protein shakes, powders and supplements to patients who don’t get enough protein, she said.
“I think having medical supervision is extremely important because we can really mitigate or reduce the incidence of serious side effects that I think could occur if patients were not monitored closely,” said Dr. Hurtado Andrade.
Executives at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe said their employees — whom they call health enthusiasts or coaches — did not replace medical professionals. The executives also said the companies’ approaches and strategies were devised in consultation with staff nutritionists.
“We don’t want our health enthusiasts to take action,” said Mr. Wright of the Vitamin Shoppe. ‘They’re not doctors. They are not trying to give any medical advice.”
GNC’s Mr Costello said his employees had been trained to show empathy for the challenges. To this end, he has asked store employees to watch Oprah Winfrey’s recent special on Ozempic. The company also taught them to ask “lifestyle questions” before recommending supplements, such as “What are your goals?” and “What are you currently doing to achieve your goals?”
That’s all well and good, said Dr. Hurtado Andrade, but she worries that retail workers aren’t as knowledgeable as medical professionals about how to interpret and address symptoms. That requires knowing what questions to ask, something trained caregivers and caregivers are trained to do, she said.
“I don’t think any retailer is going to be able to think about the questions that need to be asked to narrow that gap and understand what the diarrhea or other side effect is related to,” she said.
However, these concerns are unlikely to deter retailers and supplement makers from delving deeper into what many analysts predict will be a fast-growing market.
Four years ago, before Ozempic had become a blockbuster drug, Supergut, a Los Angeles-based company, began selling prebiotic supplements that nourish microorganisms. It marketed these products, such as shakes and snack bars, in part 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 how we’re going to connect with consumer consciousness,” said Marc Washington, CEO of Supergut. “We are super relevant to this time and to this Ozempic era,” he added.
Sales have quadrupled in the past six months, he says. GNC has Supergut on shelves in the GLP-1 section of its stores, the first time the brand has been sold in a national chain. Mr. Washington said he was also talking to other national retailers.