• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
LifestyleFood and drink

Weight-loss-aiding drugs Ozempic and Wegovy are dampening food sales, top Walmart exec says

By
Chloe Taylor
Chloe Taylor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chloe Taylor
Chloe Taylor
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 5, 2023, 7:18 AM ET
Wegovy shots seen in a factory setting.
Ozempic and Wegovy are dampening food sales, Walmart’s John Furner has said.Michael Siluk—UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

The success of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy in treating weight loss could be driving Americans to spend less money on food, a top Walmart executive has said.

Recommended Video

“We definitely do see a slight change compared to the total population; we do see a slight pullback in overall basket,” John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart’s U.S. operations, said in an interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday. “Just less units, slightly less calories.”

The grocery giant is using anonymized shopper data to analyze how the spending habits of people taking appetite suppressants like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy are changing.

Ozempic—designed and approved to help people manage Type 2 diabetes symptoms—has not formally been approved for use as a weight loss medicine, but has been hailed a “miracle” intervention for people struggling with obesity. Scientists are currently testing the drug’s efficacy as a treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction.

The drug, which helps people feel more full and therefore reduce their caloric intake, is administered as a shot, and costs around $900 a month without insurance in the United States.

Demand for Ozempic has been so high that some people living with Type 2 diabetes who could benefit from using the drug have been unable to acquire it, charities have warned.

However, the drug’s popularity has translated to a bolstered bottom line for Novo Nordisk this year, helping the company become a serious contender for the title of Europe’s most valuable public firm. The pharmaceutical giant, which took the crown from luxury goods behemoth LVMH last month, currently has a mammoth market cap of around $376 billion.

Wegovy, also manufactured by Novo Nordisk, helped set the company on that trajectory as well.  

In clinical trials, weekly doses of semaglutide—the medication sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy—helped participants decrease their body weight by 15%. However, experts have warned that the weight loss could be difficult to maintain after stopping use of the drugs.

While Furner told Bloomberg on Wednesday that Walmart was seeing tentative signs of the drugs feeding into consumer preferences, he stressed that it was too early to draw definitive results from the company’s analysis.

The retailer—which is America’s biggest employer and has topped the Fortune 500 for the past 11 years—sells GLP-1 drugs through its pharmacies. The category, which includes medicines like Ozempic, saw U.S. sales skyrocket 300% between 2020 and 2022, a recent report from Trilliant Health found.

Under fire in the past

Walmart has come under fire in the past for—its critics say—playing a role in exacerbating America’s obesity epidemic.

A 2015 report from the National Bureau of Economic Research said certain retailers, and Walmart in particular, had made it easier for Americans to overeat by making cheap junk food readily available in bulk-size quantities.

The company said at the time that the report’s authors had not considered initiatives it had put in place to encourage healthy diet choices.

A spokesperson for drug manufacturer Novo Nordisk did not respond to Fortune’s questions about Furner’s comments.

However, Furner isn’t the first market watcher to suggest the success of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy could act as a catalyst for change when it comes to consumer spending habits.

Earlier this week, strategists at Barclays said the drugs have so much promise as weight-loss aids that investors should short junk-food stocks.

About the Author
By Chloe Taylor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Lifestyle

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Lifestyle

AI isn’t replacing Hyatt’s salespeople—it’s freeing up a full day of work every week, according to the CEO
AIBrainstorm Tech
AI isn’t replacing Hyatt’s salespeople—it’s freeing up a full day of work every week, according to the CEO
By Sharon GoldmanJune 9, 2026
7 hours ago
Trump’s 80th birthday present is a UFC cage on the South Lawn of the White House
North AmericaDonald Trump
Trump’s 80th birthday present is a UFC cage on the South Lawn of the White House
By Will Weissert and The Associated PressJune 9, 2026
8 hours ago
FIFA says ‘market rates’ explain World Cup prices. Economists say the market was rigged by design
Travel & LeisureNew York City
FIFA says ‘market rates’ explain World Cup prices. Economists say the market was rigged by design
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
9 hours ago
Singer-songwriter Grimes speaks on stage at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026 in Aspen, Colorado.
AIMusic
Grimes says AI can make music, but humans must still tell the story
By Sebastian HerreraJune 9, 2026
12 hours ago
penn
North Americatransit
‘I’m not focused on names at all’: Rumors of Trump Station replacing Penn Station in New York batted aside
By Philip Marcelo and The Associated PressJune 9, 2026
13 hours ago
trump
Arts & EntertainmentWhite House
Trump on getting loudly booed by hometown New York: ‘It was, I think, mostly cheers’
By Stephen Whyno, Michelle L. Price and The Associated PressJune 9, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
Economy
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
12 hours ago
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.