Sales of traditionally indulgent foods and beverages are falling as more consumers use GLP-1 medications for weight management, but new research suggests that doesn’t mean they are abandoning “treats,” rather they are redefining the occasion.
This shift is creating new opportunities for brands to reposition and reformulate products to combine enjoyment with perceived nutritional benefits, according to a survey of grocery shoppers conducted by Bixa on behalf of the International Dairy Deli & Bakery Association (IDDBA) and shared during a webinar last week.
The survey found an “overwhelming majority of grocery shoppers regularly indulge in store bought treats during routine trips,” but what they consider a treat is changing as they try to simultaneously balance their health goals, Bixa CEO Sarah Weise revealed.
“Shoppers are bringing several expectations to the shelf. They want food that fits their goals. They want food that works in their everyday lives and they want food that brings them joy and that feeling of indulgence,” she explained.
At the intersection of these priorities is what consumers consider “healthy-ish” indulgence – or treats that are “lighter on the guilt” and which they determine based on ingredients and lifestyle trends, she said.
For example, the research found that 57% of shoppers typically choose treats that are either mostly healthy or indulgent with some better-for-you qualities. By comparison, 43% said their usual treat was fully indulgent.
“When looking for a healthy-ish treat, people looked either for trending ingredients, choices that match their lifestyle or diet, and specific ‘health’ flavors,” she explained.
Specifically, the survey found 36% of surveyed consumers said ingredient trends, such as the cottage cheese craze, was the top driver for why the chose a treat. About 34% cited “lifestyle trends,” such as gluten-free, keto or smaller portions, influenced their selection. And 22% cited “health flavors,” such as matcha, turmeric, ginger or açaí, as a top driver for choosing a treat.
The survey also revealed the frequency with which consumers choose a “mostly healthy treat,” varies across generation and income, and is also higher among shoppers currently taking GLP-1 medications at 41% compared to only 26% of those neither taking or considering taking the drugs to help manage their weight.
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How do consumers evaluate ‘healthy’ or ‘healthy-ish’ treats?
Changes in how consumers taking GLP-1 medications evaluate and choose treats is impacting spending across several grocery and restaurant categories in the US, according to new analysis by Bain & Company.
A survey of 4,300 US consumers conducted in October by Bain & Company found 20% have used GLP-1 medications in 2026 – up from 14% a year ago. At this rate, it predicts 31% of US consumers will have used the medications by 2030, which is far higher than any other regional market included in the global study. In the UK, for example, 7% of adults have used GLP-1s in 2026 and a projected 12% will have used them by 2030.
As GLP-1 use ticks up, spending on groceries – and particularly traditional treats – if falling, according to the survey.
Based on credit card transaction data by Pyxis analyzed by Bain, GLP-1 users spend about 3% to 4% less on groceries – with salty snacks, soda and sweet baked goods especially hard hit.
Specifically, it found US consumers taking the medications spent 6% less on desserts/candies/ cookies and bread/baked goods categories than non-users, 5% less on salty snacks and 4% less on carbonated drinks and soda.
In the UK the drop was even more significant with spending on desserts/candies/cookies falling 10%, while spending on bread and baked goods fell 9% and dropped 6% on carbonated drinks and sodas.
This mirrors Bixa’s research that found shoppers seeking “healthy” or “health-ish” treats moved away from sweet baked goods, which 47% considered “fully indulgent” compared to only 23% who considered them somewhat healthy treats.
GLP-1 users are still buying treats
But this doesn’t mean GLP-1 users or health-conscious shoppers are giving up on these categories or indulgence – rather, Bixa’s research suggests they are finding it elsewhere, creating new opportunities in unexpected places.
For example, Bixa found 28% of GLP-1 users selected specialty cheese as a fully indulgent treat, compared with around 8% of shoppers neither taking nor considering using GLP-1 medications.
It also found freshness was the leading health cue among current GLP-1 users at 41%. Real and recognizable ingredients were also leading health cues among shoppers seeking somewhat health treats (46%), as were protein and fiber.
Freshness also is a leading cue for identifying healthier treats for consumers taking GLP-1 medications, according to Bixa.
Likewise, even though sweet baked treats were more likely to be considered fully indulgent, breakfast baked goods were more likely to be seen as somewhat healthy, according to Bixa. This suggests playing with new formats and positioning could impact consumers’ health perceptions and create new opportunities.
In addition, smaller portions of the same products also were more likely to be perceived as “healthy-ish” or a healthier option – allowing consumers to fully indulge but in a controlled way.
Taken together, these findings suggest that brands playing across categories can still win over GLP-1 users seeking treats, but they may need to reformulate, reposition or repackage their products to do so.
