For many, Girl Scout Cookies are the highlight of the year. While plenty of grocery stores may have knockoff versions, there's nothing tastier than the original. And, even better, the cookies help support young female leaders. The Girl Scouts is a wonderful organization that helps build confidence in young women.
Haven't gotten cookies recently? Well, 2020 may have been the reason why. While Girl Scouts tried creative methods to make sure its cookies were sold, this was still an overall poor year for those Thin Mints and Samoas. A warehouse located in Georgia actually has $3 million worth of Girl Scout Cookies that didn't sell.
The Metro Atlanta Girl Scouts suffered this year by going for digital-only sales. While troops can still make quite a profit when parents share their links on social media, they were still missing the foot traffic that they normally get. Think about it — how many times have you unintentionally bought a couple boxes after seeing a table set up outside?
"While online cookie sales in our local area on Girl Scouts' Digital Cookie platform were up nearly 150% over last year, online sales didn’t make up for significantly lower door-to-door and cookie booth sales, which were negatively impacted by COVID-19," Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta communications advisor Leslie Gilliam said to Today. The good news, at the very least, is that Girl Scout cookies aren't necessarily too hard to sell now that the area knows about the surplus.
In fact, Girl Scout Cookies may help people feel better about the year, as they're always a delicious pick-me-up. Those in Atlanta even set up a website to help the unsold cookies sell a bit quicker. It's called ShowMeTheCookies.com, and it offers plenty of deals for people looking to purchase.
Not in the Atlanta area? Well, you still may be in luck. The website lets you plug in your zip code so you can see if any troops nearby may be delivering. It's a great way to support the troops and also support the shelf of desserts and sweets in your pantry.
But in order to move the multiple boxes quickly, Atlanta is trying hard to inspire cookie lovers everywhere to buy a bunch — and give them out to people who deserve a little lift.
"We are asking area businesses and other organizations to consider buying by the case for employees, customers, or for donations to teachers, first responders or any other group they want to support," Leslie noted.
But are the cookies stale? It's a good question to ask before you dive in and buy multiple boxes for your loved ones. These warehouse cookies still have a lot of life left. They're set to expire in September, which is still far away. But they can also be frozen for extended life.
Ever try a frozen Girl Scout Cookie before? It's a whole new experience. Girl Scout Cookie connoisseurs often prefer them this way. This year, perhaps in a small boost to also push sales, Los Angeles Times food critic Lucas Kwan Peterson ranked the best-tasting cookies. The taste when frozen was actually a big part of how things were calculated.
Thin Mints are actually the crowd favorite when it comes to freezing. "Everybody knows eating Girl Scout cookies frozen is the best way to consume a Girl Scout cookie," said Lucas. So perhaps that's even more incentive for people to purchase the unsold warehouse boxes.
That said, there is a time frame in which these cookies — which total nearly 720,000 boxes — need to be out of the warehouse. As the weather is getting warmer, the temperatures inside might affect the quality of the Girl Scout Cookies. So this is actually an urgent request.
"We hope our community will rally to support our girls and take these off our hands before summer," said Leslie. But have no fear. The cookies won't go to waste if they don't necessarily meet their goal. They'll be eaten and enjoyed after being donated.
Unsold cookies will eventually make their way overseas for the military to enjoy. "We also donate cookies to first responders, schools, homeless shelters and food pantries," Leslie noted. "Our goal is to sell these cookies, but if we don't they will not go to waste. You have our Girl Scout promise for that."
The Girl Scouts do incredible things with the money they earn from their cookie sales. The art of selling teaches young women a lot about business and also helps teach them how to socialize with the community. It's also a great way for young women to set goals for themselves. But the money itself supports even more opportunities.
The local troops keep 100% of the profits earned from cookie sales. They use the money for fun trips and community activities. That money is often also used to start big community projects. So if you buy the cookies, you're also supporting your neighborhood and not just the young women who are in charge of sales.
While the warehouse in Atlanta is getting a lot of attention for the quantity it has left, these aren't the only troops with lower sales. The Girl Scouts have reported that by putting the safety of the troops first, there has been a sales decline in many areas nationwide. So if you happen to see a stand or a Facebook post regarding cookies? Buy some Trefoils and make someone's day.
