How health trends like GLP-1s and menopause are shifting what shoppers expect from brands and retailers

# Why this matters now Health-related trends are changing what shoppers want and how they buy. In a Brave Commerce conversation, Neela Montgomery—board director at Ahold Delhaize and Logitech and former Crate & Barrel CEO—walks through how shifts such as the rapid uptake of GLP-1 drugs and heightened attention to women's health and menopause are producing ripple effects across retail and CPG categories.

# What's actually changing Consumers are re-prioritizing what they buy based on new health needs. Those changes manifest beyond the category closest to the trend. For example, a medical or wellness intervention can reshape preferences for everyday groceries, home goods, apparel sizing and beauty routines. The consequence: demand patterns move, and so do expectations about what brands should offer.

# Practical implications for brands Brands should stop treating a health trend as a short-term headline and instead trace how it alters behavior across purchase occasions. That means:

• Revisiting product formulations and SKUs to match shifting use cases.
• Reworking messaging so it speaks to current priorities rather than past assumptions about what shoppers value.
• Considering new cross-category partnerships or bundling opportunities that align with new consumer routines.

# What retailers can do differently Retailers have an advantage if they build a clearer view of shoppers across life stages and health inflection points. Concrete moves include:

• Adjusting assortment and shelf strategy to reflect changing needs tied to health trends.
• Designing store and online experiences that guide shoppers through new decision paths created by those trends.
• Using loyalty and data to recognize when consumers enter different health stages and tailoring communications accordingly.

# Where opportunity appears When a health trend shifts behavior, adjacent categories often gain relevance. That creates openings for new products, repositioning existing lines, or rethinking how and where items are merchandised. Brands that act on those signals can capture demand that competitors miss.

# Bottom line Health trends are reshaping shopper priorities in ways that go well beyond the immediate product category. The firms that respond by aligning product development, messaging and retail experiences to evolving needs will be better positioned to capture the new demand landscape.