At the end of last year, David’s Bridal noticed something curious in the company’s data. Rush orders for alterations had doubled. 

“This is somebody who’s waited because they are on GLP-1s or on a fitness journey, and now they’re scrambling trying to get their dress very, very quickly,” Kelly Cook, CEO of David’s Bridal, said in an interview. 

After digging further, David’s Bridal realized the average dress size was coming down. It previously was between 12 to 14, but the average was quickly turning into 6 to 8 or 8 to 10. 

Use of GLP-1s is forecast to rapidly expand in the coming years, increasing from $42.6 billion in 2024 to $137 billion by 2030, according to Coresight Research data.

Furthermore, the percentage of U.S. adults who are currently taking a GLP-1 for weight loss is 11%, up from 3% only two years ago, according to September research by Gallup.

“I don’t think in our lifetime we’re going to see many behavioral shifts like we are with GLP-1s,” Dean Neiger, co-founder and CEO of Maeva, a DTC metabolic wellness company, said in an interview. “When you look at the changes that GLP-1s are pushing through, it’s really unbelievable.”

How GLP-1 users are forcing retailers to rethink everything | Retail Dive