LONDON - Heineken has urged British pubs and bars to adapt to the booming use of weight-loss drugs or risk losing customers and revenue, according to a company presentation seen by Reuters, in a rare acknowledgement from a major alcohol maker that the medicines pose a threat to beer sales.
The warning comes as GLP-1 use has surged, with some 10 million people taking medications like Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy in the US last year, according to JPMorgan research. Their growth is having ramifications across the consumer goods industry, hitting cravings for sweets and snacks, driving up demand for clothing alterations and prompting a scramble to sell products that counter side-effects.
