Weight-loss drug users add pressure to apparel returns

Retailers are seeing more clothing come back as customers using GLP-1 weight-loss drugs deal with changing sizes, according to NBC News correspondent Emilie Ikeda's report for TODAY. The trend matters for stores because apparel returns are expensive, and uncertainty over fit can make buying clothes harder for customers whose bodies are changing.

Ikeda reported on June 15, 2026, that widely used weight-loss drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy, have already changed how some people shop for food. The TODAY report said those changes are now extending to clothing as users slim down.

The problem described by TODAY is straightforward: shoppers whose weight is shifting may not know which size will fit. That uncertainty can lead to more returned apparel, and retailers are absorbing the costs tied to those returns, according to the report.

TODAY described the increase as a surge in apparel returns linked to fit and sizing questions among shoppers using GLP-1 medications. The report did not frame the issue as limited to one brand or one type of clothing; it presented the trend as a broader retail challenge tied to weight fluctuation.

Ozempic and Wegovy were the drugs named in the TODAY report. The segment described them as popular weight-loss medications and connected their use with shifts in consumer behavior beyond grocery spending.

For retailers, the issue adds another variable to an already costly part of the clothing business, according to TODAY. When customers cannot predict their size, stores may face more merchandise moving back through return channels rather than staying sold.

For shoppers, the report points to a practical side effect of weight change: clothing purchases can become less certain while sizes are in flux. Ikeda's report for TODAY said that uncertainty over fit is one of the forces behind the rise in returns.

This story draws on original reporting from TODAY.com.