Dive Brief:
- Thrive Market launched a filter on its online marketplace on Monday that allows customers who use GLP-1 medications to more easily find foods that align with their nutritional needs.
- Thrive has seen searches for GLP-1 terms on its website steadily increase over the past 12 months, Chief Merchandising Officer April Lane said in emailed remarks to Grocery Dive.
- This move from Thrive Market underscores the fact that grocers are finding ways to adapt to the rise of GLP-1s as the weight-loss drugs continue to impact consumer behavior and food spending.
Dive Insight:
While Thrive doesn’t monitor how many of its members are using GLP-1 drugs, a shift in shopper behavior and basket activity, paired with broader national usage of GLP-1 drugs, prompted Thrive to create its new “GLP-1 Friendly” filter, Lane said.
The online specialty grocer found that consumers are more frequently seeking out foods that pair well with GLP-1 medications during certain times of the year, including after the winter holidays and before the start of a new school year.
Thrive’s merchandising as well as its food and safety and quality assurance teams determine which foods are “GLP-1 Friendly,” Lane said, noting the company evaluates food items for their nutrient density.
The filter prioritizes products with lean protein and fiber and automatically excludes items with sugar alcohols, high-intensity sweeteners, refined carbohydrates and excess saturated fat, Lane said. She added spicy foods, which can irritate the stomach or slow digestion, are also excluded.
More than 1,000 products, including national and private label brands, can be found under the new filter, according to the announcement. This filter builds on Thrive’s more than 100 other filters, such as “Gluten-Free” and “Keto.”
As GLP-1 usage becomes more common, grocers will need to continue finding ways to adapt to how the weight-loss drugs shift consumer shopping behaviors. According to a PwC analysis published by the Harvard Business Review earlier this month, grocery spending declined 6% to 8% within 12 months in households where a GLP-1 user was the primary food purchaser — “a sharp contradiction for a category that typically shifts slowly and predictably,” the study said.
The shift in consumer spending “away from calorie-dense, convenience-driven items toward functional, nutrient-rich options” poses a direct challenge to food retailers with “long-standing demand models based on volume and loyalty,” the study noted.
