London-based BeigePlus, which sells designer fashion for women in UK sizes 16-28, has suffered a 20% fall in sales over the past two years.
“The impact has been nothing short of catastrophic,” says Hennie Fearnley, the chief executive of BeigePlus.
While she is happy for anyone who improves their health and life, “from a commercial perspective, these drugs are reshaping the plus-size fashion market at remarkable speed.”
Meanwhile, plus-size shoppers worry about the decline in inclusive sizing and skinny culture reasserting its dominance.
“This is actually a big deal in people’s lives,” says Jacqueline Windsor, PwC’s UK head of retail.
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“If you’ve been overweight or been struggling with your weight and you lose two to three sizes, it is a new you, a new identity … For retailers, it’s serving a customer who feels maybe for the first time really good about themselves.”
