ReturnPro Releases “The GLP-1 Effect” Report Showing Significant Changes in GLP-1 Users’ Shopping Patterns and Returns Behaviors

New data: 69% of GLP-1 users are heading back to the fitting room, and 65% are buying multiple sizes of the same item with intent to return what doesn’t fit

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ReturnPro, the industry leader in returns management and reverse logistics, today announced findings from its new consumer study examining the effects of GLP-1 medications and how they are quietly reshaping what consumers are buying, returning, holding onto and wishing retailers would do differently to address their unique needs.

The GLP-1 Effect report surveyed 500 U.S. adults currently taking, or who have taken within the past 12 months, a GLP-1 medication (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound).

The findings show a consumer who is returning to physical stores, buying more, spending more, and increasingly “bracketing” – purchasing multiple sizes with the intent to return what does not fit. One of the more surprising findings: men on GLP-1 medications are bracketing and returning at higher rates than women. Together, these shifts point to a return wave that will have a major impact on retailers.

Key findings include:

• GLP-1 users are returning to stores: 69% say sizing uncertainty has made them more likely to shop in-store rather than online, a reversal at a moment when e-commerce dominates apparel shopping.
• Men are emerging as the unexpected driver of apparel returns: Contrary to conventional retail assumptions, men on GLP-1 medications bracket (i.e. buy multiple sizes with the intent to return what does not fit) their purchases at nearly double the rate of women (20% vs. 12%) and are more likely to say their return frequency has increased (49% vs. 37%) - a dressing-room and inventory problem retailers haven't priced in.
• They are buying more clothing and at more premium prices: 71% of surveyed consumers are buying more apparel as their size changes, and 58% say their spending on premium or higher-priced apparel has increased. 52% expect their apparel spending to increase further once their weight stabilizes.
• GLP-1 users are bracketing at more than double the rate of general consumers: 65% of GLP-1 users purchase multiple sizes of the same item intending to return what doesn’t fit. Among those who bracket, 83% are also holding onto extra sizes in anticipation of continued weight loss, stacking deferred returns on top of new ones.
• GLP-1 users are returning more: 43% of GLP-1 users say their apparel return frequency has increased since starting treatment and 48% have already returned items that became too large after purchase.
• Consumers will pay for a fix: 58% say they would enroll in a paid size exchange program, and easy exchanges ranked as the single most important retailer feature in the study, ahead of free returns and accurate sizing tools.

Quotes:

Sender Shamiss, CEO of ReturnPro, said: “GLP-1 drugs are reshaping body sizes for millions of shoppers faster than most retail systems were built to handle. This isn't a short-term spike, it's a new, ongoing pattern in how customers shop. Retailers who adapt their sizing, returns and exchange processes now will be in a much stronger position than those who wait it out.”

Ami DeWille, Vice President of Marketing, said: “Customers’ bodies are changing in real time and their closets and buying habits are changing with it. Brands that recognize this personal moment have an opportunity to build trust that will earn the loyalty of their customers for years to come.”

"The real opportunity isn't just managing more returns—it's rethinking the customer experience around them. More than half of GLP-1 users said they'd pay for a guaranteed size exchange program, signaling that retailers can turn a traditional pain point into a loyalty-building service and a new source of recurring revenue."

Key Facts

Q: What is The GLP-1 Effect report?

• The GLP-1 Effect report is based on a ReturnPro survey of 500 U.S. adults currently taking, or who have taken within the past 12 months, a GLP-1 medication (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound), examining how the medications are changing shopping behavior, apparel spending, and returns.

Q: What is “bracketing,” and how common is it among GLP-1 users?

• Bracketing is purchasing multiple sizes of the same item with the intent of returning what doesn’t fit. 65% of GLP-1 users bracket.

Q: Why are GLP-1 users shopping in stores more often?

• 69% say rapidly changing sizes have made them distrust online sizing, making in-store try-on and fitting rooms more valuable than the convenience of shopping online.

Q: Are GLP-1 users spending more or less on apparel?

• 71% of surveyed consumers are buying more apparel as their size changes, and 58% have increased spending on premium or higher-priced apparel rather than replacing their wardrobe at the same price point.

Q: What do these consumers want from retailers?

• Easy exchanges and free returns are ranked as the top two most important retailer features. 58% said they would enroll in a paid size-exchange program.

Q: What opportunities does the increase in returns rates create?

• The GLP-1 effect is generating a parallel secondary market event. Users are feeding resale platforms from both sides at once: selling clothing that no longer fits and buying transitional pieces while still losing weight.
• Items graded accurately and routed to recommerce rather than liquidation recover significantly more value. Retailers with the reverse logistics infrastructure to capture that routing decision turn the GLP-1 returns surge into a margin recovery opportunity; those without it send the same inventory to liquidation at pennies on the dollar.

Q: What is the most important piece of information from this report?

• GLP-1 medications are changing consumer purchasing and returning behaviors.
• The GLP-1 effect is not just a returns trend. It is an evolutionary event for retail – and apparel is where it is happening first.

Q: Where can I get the full report?

• The full report is available HERE

About ReturnPro

ReturnPro helps retailers, brands, and 3P sellers solve returns by transforming the post-purchase lifecycle into a measurable strategic advantage. ReturnPro manages the entire reverse product lifecycle, from customer-initiated return through routing, inspection, refurbishment, restock, and resale, through a single, connected technology and operating model. The Company unifies returns management SaaS, reverse supply chain services, and ReCommerce into one accountable system, embedding fraud controls, real-time decision intelligence, and operational execution to maximize recovery, speed, and visibility. By managing returns deliberately, ReturnPro drives profitability, strengthens sustainability outcomes, and builds lasting consumer trust.