By Danielle Kaye
NEW YORK, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Nora Nye, 58, is refreshing her wardrobe as she sizes down for the first time in over three decades after losing 80 pounds on weight-loss drug Mounjaro. Earlier this year, the Denver bankruptcy lawyer walked into a Macy's and found herself overwhelmed.
"Retailers are going to have to be ready for an influx of people getting into those sizes, but also needing help with it because we just don't know where to go," said Nye, who started taking the drug 19 months
ago after a diabetes diagnosis.
About 11% of Americans are on GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, according to Gallup. With changed bodies, many are inclined to try on clothes in person to figure out what styles fit their new size, shoppers told Reuters.
More than two-thirds of consumers using GLP-1s say sizing changes have made them more likely to shop in-store, according to a survey of 500 people from ReturnPro, which helps retailers manage returns.
That presents a new — or old — challenge for retailers, who are starting to reevaluate their brick-and-mortar strategies to meet those expectations, analysts said.
"It has the potential to at least slow the flight to purely online," said Don Johnson, a consumer strategist at EY-Parthenon. "You have to be more thoughtful about the in-store experience."
Kelly Cook, CEO of wedding fashion company David's Bridal, said weight-loss drugs are having an effect on how people shop at its roughly 200 stores. Over the last six months, she said shoppers have been trying on twice as many dresses on average, sometimes up to 10 styles.
Because of these medications, department stores, discount chains and boutiques are evaluating the sizes they carry, their dressing room set-ups and styling services, said Ali Furman, PwC's consumer markets industry leader. In-store investments are likely to be implemented within the next year, she said.
Discount retailer Ross Stores posted a 17% increase in first-quarter comparable-store sales, which Ross CEO Jim Conroy in May attributed to more foot traffic and an "improved in‑store experience," though the company did not specifically mention weight-loss drugs.
Ross did not respond to a request for comment. Macy's declined comment.
FINDING THE RIGHT SIZES
Amber Volkin, 43, who sells clothes through online platform Whatnot and at her home in Austin, Texas, started organizing private styling appointments to help customers in various stages of weight loss who were struggling to shop.
"I had credibility, and I think that's what people don’t have in retail stores right now," said Volkin, who spent 25 years in retail and has also been on GLP-1 medication. "If you want to bring people back to stores and give them a reason to pay a higher price for something, then you need to give them the service that goes with it."
Of the hundreds who have shopped at her business over the past two years, roughly three-quarters have mentioned GLP-1 weight loss, she said.
Artificial intelligence tools are coming into play as retailers seek to address sizing inconsistency. Victoria's Secret, for example, incorporated AI technology into some of its fitting rooms to help shoppers request different sizes. The lingerie retailer declined to comment.
Ami DeWille, who leads marketing at ReturnPro, said stores will have to address the need for more personalized service. "It could be AI, it could be a person who is really good at sizing," she said.
STABILIZE, THEN SHOP
Once GLP-1 users see their weight stabilize, they are more likely to buy pricier clothing. Among premium spenders surveyed by ReturnPro, 91% said they are more likely to shop in-store, compared to 69% of all GLP-1 users.
Wendy Fossum and John White lost 60 and 120 pounds on weight-loss drugs, respectively. The married couple, both 41, are scouting stores in Minneapolis for affordable clothes.
Fossum said once her weight settles, she plans on shopping more at Macy's and local boutiques to rebuild her wardrobe.
"I see myself doing more in-person shopping," said Fossum, a librarian at a law firm.
Now that his weight has settled, White says he's looking to buy a new suit in-store for the couple's upcoming anniversary trip to Las Vegas.
"It opens a lot of opportunities for where I can get my clothes," he said.
(Reporting by Danielle Kaye, Editing by Lisa Jucca and David Gaffen)
