THE LEMPERT REPORT Special Report: Gulfood 2026 Dubai Insights.

In Dubai, I told the audience that GLP-1 medicines have created a new kind of grocery trip: smaller, more intentional, and far less driven by impulse. People on these drugs simply do not feel the same hunger, and that blunts the “see it, smell it, grab it” loop that modern supermarkets have been built on for decades.

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic are quietly shrinking appetites at the same time a loneliness epidemic and a fast-growing “no-buy” mindset are reshaping how, when, and why we shop for food. Together, these three powerful forces are upending the old volume-driven model of grocery retail and forcing every retailer, brand, and restaurant to rethink what it really means to create value for a shopper who eats less, spends more cautiously, and is often doing it all alone. These three trends are changing the physics of the food business in the UAE and far beyond. What I shared on stage at Gulfood in Dubai on January 26 is that if you are a retailer, brand, or foodservice operator still planning for a “pre-GLP-1” shopper, you are already behind. READ my free Substack newsletter: The Lempert Report HERE