Fashion retailers Marks and Spencer, John Lewis and Debenhams scale back plus size ranges as millions turn to fat jabs, researchers find

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 13:30 EDT, 6 September 2026 | Updated: 14:54 EDT, 6 September 2026 Marks and Spencer and John Lewis are scaling back their plus size ranges amid surging use of weight loss jabs, according to new analysis.The chains are among High Street stalwarts found to have reduced the scale of extended size products, a study by retail intelligence platform Edited has found.It comes as millions of people turn to revolutionary weight loss drugs such as Mounjaro.Edited examined the number of new listings for women's dresses on retailers' websites, comparing July and August this year with the same period in 2024 – and looked at the proportion of larger-sized items.Reductions in some ranges were particularly pronounced for the largest sizes, 22 to 24, Edited found.Krista Corrigan, senior retail analyst at Edited, told The Daily Telegraph: 'Several fashion retailers in the UK are retreating from plus-size ranges. Strategies are shifting in response to consumers' needs and changing body compositions.'There are predictions as many as one in eight Britons could be on some sort of weight loss treatment by next year.A recent study by market research firm Mintel found eight per cent of British adults have used a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) injection or another form of prescription weight-loss medication. Fat jabs such as Mounjaro are being taken by millions of people to reduce their weightEdited tracked items as they launched on retailers' websites.At M&S, it found that the proportion of new dresses offered as size 18 and above fell from 34pc to 27pc.The very largest sizes, 22 to 24, accounted for only 0.4pc of dresses this summer compared with 2.2pc two years ago.Analysis of John Lewis's range showed that while the overall number of new plus size dresses increased, the largest sizes only accounted for 19.2pc of the range this summer, down from 22.3pc in 2024.Meanwhile, at Debenhams, plus size dresses accounted for 17.4pc of those on sale, down from 23pc.For George at Asda, the share of new-in plus-sized clothes remained steady at 43-44pc in the last few years.GLP-1 weight loss treatments were once primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes but have become more mainstream.But concerns have been raised about the potential for larger people to be 'shut out' of High Street fashion.Tamara Sender Ceron, associate principal on Fashion Retail at Mintel, said the rising popularity of so-called fat jabs is believed to have had a negative effect on 'inclusivity' among Generation Z and younger millennials.Fashion influencer Caroline Sigamoney has criticised a 'lack of inclusive sizing' at M&S, adding: 'This is exactly why so many plus-size women have given up shopping on the high street.'Catherine Shuttleworth, chief executive of retail consultancy Savvy Marketing, said increased use of GLP-1s would 'undoubtedly' impact fashion due to the changing shape of consumers – but she believes retailers would be 'closely analysing buying habits for shifts in demand'.A M&S spokesman said the company offered 'an extensive range of sizes across womenswear, with sizes 8-18 available across all stores' with larger sizes up to 24 'available online and in selected stores'.John Lewis said: 'We're committed to inclusive fashion, and work closely with brands that specialise in plus-size fashion or offer extended sizing'.Meanwhile, Debenhams said the Edited figures reflect its expansion to 'include more than 25,000 third-party brands, rather than a reduction in its own plus-size offer' which includes its Curve range.