Destination XL blames GLP-1 drugs for size swings as quarterly sales fall 6%

Destination XL, which sells big-and-tall men's clothing, finished its fourth quarter with total sales down 6% from the same period a year earlier and a net loss of $29.6 million. On a call with analysts, the company's chief executive said GLP-1 use — which he estimated at about a quarter of its customers — was shifting shoppers between sizes and producing what he called "volatility" for the business ^[1].

The retailer's report landed the same day as a Circana study of how weight-loss prescriptions are reshaping what Americans buy to wear. Circana put GLP-1 use at 23% of U.S. households as of September, four percentage points higher than a year earlier. Of those households, 80% said they expect to need new clothes because their body size is changing, and 55% had already bought clothing or footwear mainly for that reason ^[1].

The spending pattern Circana described is broader than a simple swap to smaller sizes. Households in their first year of GLP-1 use bought more jeans, casual pants, active shorts, dresses and bras, which the firm ties to new routines and greater confidence alongside a changed fit ^[1]. In one of the earliest signals, sales of larger bras — 42-inch-and-up bands and D cups — lost momentum while mid-size and small sizes gained ^[1].

"With GLP-1 adoption accelerating, size is changing, but so is identity," said Kristen Classi-Zummo, an apparel industry adviser at Circana. She described the medications as "a catalyst for redefining personal style," and said shoppers rebuilding a wardrobe are reconsidering "what fits, what flatters, and what feels aligned with their lifestyle." Brands that plan for both the practical and emotional sides will lead, she said, adding, "This isn't a trend — it's a structural change for the apparel industry" ^[1].

Not every plus-size seller is describing the same thing. Torrid, which serves women's plus sizes, posted a 14% sales decline in the fourth quarter, shut 151 stores during 2025 and has marked down about one-third of its current merchandise as it works through a turnaround ^[1].

Circana expects the apparel market as a whole to grow only modestly in 2026, with GLP-1-related buying possibly adding demand on top of that. The firm says categories tied to body change, wellness and comfort could outperform the rest of the market, and that footwear may benefit as well ^[1].

The two usage figures measure different groups. Circana's 23% covers U.S. households nationwide. The roughly 25% figure applies to Destination XL's own shoppers, based on the CEO's estimate rather than a count the company has disclosed ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

Clothing retailers are planning around a customer base that is changing shape, and those decisions show up in stores. If a company cuts back on larger sizes or closes locations — as Torrid has — shoppers may find fewer options in some categories, while markdowns elsewhere could mean deeper discounts ^[1]. Circana's numbers also suggest that needing a new wardrobe during treatment is common rather than unusual: most households surveyed anticipated it, and more than half had already spent money on it ^[1].

What is not established is how much of Destination XL's 6% decline came from GLP-1 use. The company has not said how it arrived at its estimate of customer use, and no figure ties the medications directly to the sales drop. Whether these retailers track shoppers' medication use, and how much broader spending trends contributed, has not been reported ^[1]. The Circana household estimate comes from the firm's own research, and the report does not lay out how that estimate was produced ^[1].

What happens next

Both companies are publicly traded retailers reporting quarterly results, so their next updates will show whether the size shifts they describe continue. Circana's projection of modest industry growth covers 2026 ^[1].