Heineken has warned British pubs and bars to adapt to the growing use of weight-loss drugs or risk losing customers and revenue, acknowledging the potential threat the medicines pose to beer sales.
According to a company presentation seen by Reuters, the Dutch brewer told hospitality businesses that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs can reduce the desire to drink alcohol, putting pressure on beer and cider sales as consumers experience increased fullness and opt for fewer drinks.
The presentation, shared with hospitality customers this month, advised pubs and bars to promote half-pints, low- and no-alcohol beverages, and pair drinks with small plates to encourage spending as the use of weight-loss medications becomes more widespread in Britain. It also warned that traditional occasions involving multiple pints could become harder to sustain.
The warning comes as the use of GLP-1 medications has surged, with about 10 million people in the United States taking drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy last year, according to JPMorgan research. The medicines are also affecting other consumer industries, including food, clothing and dietary supplements.
Heineken said the presentation formed part of its regular engagement with UK hospitality businesses to help them understand changing market conditions. The company added that it had observed changes in consumption patterns among GLP-1 users and would continue monitoring developments in 2027.
The brewer said users were not necessarily abandoning alcohol but were increasingly choosing smaller servings, lower-alcohol drinks and more premium products, trends it said aligned with broader changes in consumer behaviour.
The development presents a challenge for an industry already facing years of declining sales in some major markets as consumers reduce alcohol consumption for health and economic reasons.
According to a Heineken UK report, beer generated nearly £14 billion in sales across British pubs, bars and restaurants in the year to February 2026, while low- and no-alcohol beers accounted for less than £300 million.
Although alcohol companies have largely played down the potential threat from GLP-1 medications, consumer spending data suggests the drugs could be influencing purchasing habits.
Market research firm Circana found that US households with at least one GLP-1 user reduced spending on alcohol for both home and out-of-home consumption compared with households without users. After two years on the medications, these households spent about seven per cent less per month on alcohol, including a 13.5 per cent reduction in beer spending.
Other major alcohol producers have offered differing assessments of the potential impact. Diageo has told investors that any effect from GLP-1 drugs should remain manageable, even if usage becomes more widespread. Carlsberg said existing data did not yet establish the medicines as a clear driver of beer consumption trends, while Anheuser-Busch InBev declined to comment.
Surveys conducted in Europe and the UK by Circana, market researcher NIQ and hospitality research firm KAM have also indicated reduced alcohol consumption among GLP-1 users.
Of 11 users interviewed by Reuters, 10 said they had reduced their drinking, with some reporting significant changes. They cited discomfort, feeling unwell or losing the desire to consume alcohol.
Daniel Cornwell, founder of UK-based hospitality executive recruitment business SPE Resourcing, said he previously drank regularly at work events and on weekends but now experiences discomfort and hangovers lasting several days after consuming alcohol.
Joseph Schacht, a professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz who led a randomised controlled trial examining GLP-1 drugs in people with alcohol use disorder, said the medications could also influence the brain mechanisms associated with the motivation to drink.
Schacht said clinical trials had consistently shown reductions in cravings and alcohol consumption among people with alcohol use disorder. He described the medicines as a potential “Prozac moment” for treating the condition, while warning that wider reductions in drinking could pose challenges for alcohol producers.
Boluwatife Enome
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