How Supplement Stores Are Trying to Tap Into the Ozempic Boom

As diabetes and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy took off in the last few years, many people turned away from established diet and nutrition products.

Now, two retailers that specialize in nutritional supplements — GNC and the Vitamin Shoppe — are trying new approaches to win over people who are taking those drugs or who are interested in them.

GNC is dedicating a wall of supplements in its more than 2,300 stores to products that it believes will appeal to people on Ozempic, which contains the compound semaglutide, and other drugs that are known as GLP-1 medicines. The chain is also training workers to help customers assess which substances could help them manage common side effects of those prescription drugs.

Michael Costello, chief executive of GNC, said his company saw a “big opening” in helping individuals taking such drugs for weight loss.

“As we were looking at the trends with folks, where people are going, Ozempic and obviously Wegovy and other GLP-1s started blowing up,” Mr. Costello said in an interview. “We saw there were significant side effects for a lot of those drugs.”

It’s not clear exactly how many Americans are taking Ozempic and similar drugs for weight loss, but Mr. Costello referred to a study from Goldman Sachs that estimates up to 70 million Americans will have tried the medicines by 2028.