It is that time of year again. The tables are set up in front of local grocery stores across the country. Girl Scout cookies are the main attraction. In some cases, there will be small gatherings of people waiting to buy the cookies. The customers quickly claim boxes that find their way home with them. It is a business formula. The sales from the cookies go back into the local Girl Scout troops. The cookie sales started in 1917 as a fundraiser. It was the idea of a troop from Oklahoma. From that point on, the sales of the cookies have grown each year.
Most of the girls who are part a troop have the opportunity to sell cookies and win prizes for the amount of sales they might generate. Sales at one time were door to door. This transformed into a modern and more effective way of selling. Nowadays, the Girl Scout have cookie sale tables that can be found at various sites across a city.
In 1936, ABC Bakers was licensed to make cookies for the Girl Scouts. Then in the 1980’s, Keebler started to make some of the cookies along with ABC Bakers. Keebler is a well-known and trusted brand in most households across America. The Girl Scouts and troop leaders have noticed that most people who eat the cookies on a regular basis seem to have their own favorite type.
Thin Mints, Lemonades, Savannah Smiles, Peanut Butter Sandwich and Chocolate Chip usually rank at the top. These are followed closely by Samoa’s, Shortbreads and Thank you Berry Much. Last but not least on the people’s choice of favorites are Cranberry Citrus Crisps, Peanut Butter Patties, Dolce de Leche and Thanks-A-Lot. Depending on the area of sales, sometimes this list can vary.
In order for Girl Scout cookies to find their way into the consumer’s home, the cookies needed to keep up with the concern over trans-fats. In 2005, the Girl Scouts chose to make sure they were selling healthier cookies. They also started to include nutritional facts on every box of cookies. They knew this would keep the cookies a popular item.
Girl Scout cookies are usually sold by local troops. The profits stay in the community where the troop is located. Some Girl Scout troops have been known to give the customer an option of sponsoring boxes of cookies for the military troops overseas.
In this day and age of modern technology, the Girl Scouts have a website that makes it convenient to order cookies from home, work or where ever a person happens to be. Every year the Girl Scouts manage to sell millions of cookies nationwide.
One Girl Scout in Chino, California, has already sold 50 boxes in six days. She had set her goal at 100 boxes. Last year, along the rest of her sales, she sold 20 boxes of the Thin Mints to one customer. The cookies cost around $4.00 a box.
The Girl Scouts will start selling cookies in area neighborhoods on February 25th. It is a way for the Girl Scouts to learn planning, communication, teamwork and goal setting. It is also a way for the girls to have fun while being responsible. Their Girl Scout cookies will find their way into the homes of customers nationwide. The Girl Scouts also have various internet pages to keep the public informed of events and activities in their local neighborhoods.
by Saki Kahala
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