Girl Scout Cookie sales rebound; newest is a hit, if you can find any

Last year, hampered by COVID-19, the Girl Scouts found themselves with 12 million boxes of unsold cookies at the end of the sales season.

That number included about 720,000 leftover boxes in an Atlanta Girl Scouts warehouse, or $3 million in baked treats, according to Food & Wine magazine.

This year is a different story. With innovations, such as drive-through sales, touchless purchases, and a “cookie finder” site that helps you track down booth sales in your neighborhood, cookies sales are revived.

Even the newest cookie, the brownie-based, caramel creme “inspired” Adventureful, is doing well. If you can find one.

Credit: Girl Scouts

Credit: Girl Scouts

Due to supply problems and labor shortages, the supply of the new cookie hasn’t met demand. “The Girl Scouts have not been immune to some of these supply chain challenges that have affected other vendors,” said Amy Dosik, CEO of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta.

But Dosik reassured fans of the new cookie, “they are coming. There are some on the ground in Atlanta right now.” She added, “The good news is that all of the initial orders for friends and family have been fulfilled.”

Door-to-door sales of the Thin Mints, Samoas and Tagalongs and other familiar treats, took place last month. This month booth sales began, and you will find Scouts hawking baked goods at tables in front of supermarkets and other businesses. “In the next four to six weeks you will see thousands of cookie booths popping up in Atlanta,” said Dosik.

Those booths should be able to supply our cookie needs, she said. “We will get our Adventurefuls, it will just take a little time.”

While participation in Scouting also dropped off last year, Dosik said membership is bouncing back as well.

“We had some folks take a break during the pandemic, when troops could not meet in person, but there is a strong response and rebounding membership this year.”

Last year’s unsold cookies didn’t go to waste. “We had some good Samaritans step forward,” said Leslie Gilliam, spokesperson for the Atlanta council, and the cookies went to camps, schools, first responders, the military and other appreciative recipients.

“People are always surprised by the number of cookies we sell,” added Gilliam. “During sales season we outsell every other cookie in the U.S. market, and that includes Oreos and Chips Ahoy. You’re buying more than a cookie, you’re helping girls.”