Girl Scout Cookies: Sales Crumble! - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Cynthetiq · 02-20-2009, 10:36 AM

Quote:

View: Girl Scout cookie sales crumbling
Source: USAToday
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Girl Scout cookie sales crumbling
Girl Scout cookie sales crumbling
By Rebecca Kern, USA TODAY
Sales are a little thin for mint and other Girl Scout cookies so far this year.

National numbers are not yet in, but regional Girl Scout councils nationwide are seeing the impact of the down economy, as well as bad winter weather, in declines as large as 19% in pre-order sales, which took place January through early February.

Pre-order sales— mostly door-to-door and workplace — make up around 70% of cookie sales, council leaders say. Councils are hopeful they will make up for the drop-off with sales at shopping center booths through early spring, says Michelle Tompkins, spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts of the USA.

Among the councils reporting declines:

• Eastern South Carolina Council, near Charleston, shows pre-sales down 19% from 868,386 boxes in 2008 to about 700,000 boxes so far this year, says product sales manager Keisha Frost.

• Northeast Ohio Council, near Cleveland, reports pre-sales down about 16%, from 2.5 million to 2.1 million boxes, says Marianne Love, director of business services.

• Nation's Capital Council, in Northern Virginia, Washington and parts of Maryland, sees 5% fewer pre-sales, down to 3.7 million boxes, says public relations and marketing director Nancy Wood.

• Frontier Council in Las Vegas sales are down 1.3% from 612,792 to 604,524 boxes, says development director Emily Smith.

About two-thirds of the 133 Girl Scout councils nationwide sell cookies from January through March, Tompkins says. The rest sell in the fall. Most proceeds, she says, go to troops and councils to pay for trips, community projects and scholarships.

Love said some leaders are reporting longtime customers purchasing in smaller quantities.

"If a customer was purchasing six to eight boxes, now they're purchasing three to four," she says.

Sales aren't down everywhere. Natalie Martin, director for marketing and communication at the Northeast Texas Council, near Dallas, says that council has seen a 2% increase in pre-sales this year. For the first time in 10 years, headquarters reduced each box size by about one ounce this year because of increased ingredient and transportation costs, says Denise Pesich, vice president of communications for Girl Scouts of the USA. The $3.50 average cost per box has been the same for the past five years, Tompkins says.

Tompkins adds the Girl Scouts haven't dealt with salmonella-contaminated peanut products because neither of their baking companies, Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Interbake, buys from the peanut plants involved.

Pesich is optimistic booth sales will be strong.

"We're hopeful right now. The country, when in situations like this, goes back to what's nostalgic and gives them pleasure," Pesich says.

I don't know if sales are truly slumping. I know that the last time I got a box a few years ago, I looked at the calories and thought,"HOLY COW! I can't eat very many of these things..." and haven't bought a box since. Not to mention they just don't taste the same anymore. After reading the article and finding out that they changed manufacturers, well that makes some sense.

Have you scaled back on Scout snacks?

snowy · 02-20-2009, 10:41 AM

I didn't get hit up by either of my Girl Scout contacts this year to buy cookies. I'm surprised and a bit disappointed. I love Girl Scout cookies--Samoas, Thin Mints, and Tagalongs are my favorites.

I'll probably buy some if I see the Girl Scouts at the grocery store.

BadNick · 02-20-2009, 12:48 PM

I'll buy an extra box to help them out...when I see them. I haven't yet seen or heard from them this year. I'll take 4 X Samoas, 2 X Thin Mints, maybe a couple more others.

Glory's Sun · 02-20-2009, 01:02 PM

yeah...

my wife brought home a couple of boxes.. no thanks. I'm not a sweet eater, and even if I was it just wouldn't mesh with how I eat these days.

I tend to agree that it could be the whole calorie thing, it's a bit early for people to be abandoning their New Year resolutions.

Baraka_Guru · 02-20-2009, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guccilvr

[...]it's a bit early for people to be abandoning their New Year resolutions.

I'm not so sure about that.

The Girl Scouts should come up with their own health bar...something like a Clif bar but better. Put fibre, Omega-3s, and protein in them or something, and still have them taste chocolately minty.

Change with the times.

telekinetic · 02-20-2009, 01:22 PM

Dreyers has a different icecream flavor for each of the GS cookies with delicious cookies mixed in. I could not resist Tagalong.

Glory's Sun · 02-20-2009, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru

I'm not so sure about that.

The Girl Scouts should come up with their own health bar...something like a Clif bar but better. Put fibre, Omega-3s, and protein in them or something, and still have them taste chocolately minty.

Change with the times.

ha! that is a great idea... I can just see all the muscle heads reaching for the girl scout bars

highthief · 02-20-2009, 02:58 PM

I buy them when the kids come around but I haven't seen them in a while.

The cookies do taste like crap, however, so any effort to improve the product would not go amiss.

laconic1 · 02-20-2009, 03:06 PM

I haven't had a Girl Scout cookie in years. No one ever comes around to sell them, and none of my coworkers have daughters in the age range to be Girl Scouts. Plus I avoid stores like the plague on weekends so no opportunity to pick them up either. Although I do remember enjoying Thin Mints and Samoas.

cdwonderful · 02-21-2009, 04:43 PM

they made them smaller to keep the price down. But I will buy them anyway, I am a sucker for a cute kid in a uniform, Girl Scouts, Band Candy. Whatever. They are generally gonna get a sale from me. After all, its tough being a kid.....

Plan9 · 02-21-2009, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru

The Girl Scouts should come up with their own health bar...something like a Clif bar but better. Put fibre, Omega-3s, and protein in them or something, and still have them taste chocolately minty.

You're the man!

Quote:

Originally Posted by guccilvr

ha! that is a great idea... I can just see all the muscle heads reaching for the girl scout bars

And grunting when they eat them!

ngdawg · 02-21-2009, 05:31 PM

They don't go door to door around here, haven't for a very long time. They stand outside stores and sell the cookies. The Tagalongs are gone-at least by name. The new ones are thinner too. They don't make their lemon sandwich cookies anymore either. The thin mints are ok, but not nearly as good as they used to be; I used to buy 6 boxes of those at a time.

snowy · 02-21-2009, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ngdawg

They don't go door to door around here, haven't for a very long time. They stand outside stores and sell the cookies. The Tagalongs are gone-at least by name. The new ones are thinner too. They don't make their lemon sandwich cookies anymore either. The thin mints are ok, but not nearly as good as they used to be; I used to buy 6 boxes of those at a time.

Tagalongs are still around out here, but they are called Peanut Butter Patties elsewhere in the United States.

biznatch · 02-22-2009, 09:31 AM

Man, I'm not gonna go out of my way to help the Girl Scouts survive. They need to become cooler, make better cookies, and teach more valuable lessons to the girls.
I'm serious, earn our money, girl scouts.

amonkie · 02-22-2009, 09:53 AM

I'd be curious to see how the number of girls actually in Girl Scouts is affecting the cookie numbers.

If there's fewer bodies out there peddling cookies - and I personally have not seen 1 lick of announcement in these parts, its no wonder the sales are down.

World's King · 02-22-2009, 10:06 AM

I would just like to point out that it's not my fault...

I've eaten more then my fair share of Girl Scouts this year...

ngdawg · 02-22-2009, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by World's King

I would just like to point out that it's not my fault...

I've eaten more then my fair share of Girl Scouts this year...

Reminds me of the old joke: He was a Boy Scout until they kicked him out for eating a Brownie....

Anxst · 02-22-2009, 12:19 PM

In the past few years I've started just giving them 10 bucks through Girl Scouts. They get more out of it, and I don't have to eat the damned cookies.

02-20-2009, 10:41 AM	#2 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	I didn't get hit up by either of my Girl Scout contacts this year to buy cookies. I'm surprised and a bit disappointed. I love Girl Scout cookies--Samoas, Thin Mints, and Tagalongs are my favorites. I'll probably buy some if I see the Girl Scouts at the grocery store. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

02-20-2009, 01:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
telekinetic zomgomgomgomgomgomg Location: Fauxenix, Azerona	Dreyers has a different icecream flavor for each of the GS cookies with delicious cookies mixed in. I could not resist Tagalong. __________________ twisted no more

02-20-2009, 02:58 PM	#8 (permalink)
highthief Junkie Location: Ontario, Canada	I buy them when the kids come around but I haven't seen them in a while. The cookies do taste like crap, however, so any effort to improve the product would not go amiss. __________________ Si vis pacem parabellum.

02-21-2009, 05:31 PM	#12 (permalink)
ngdawg peekaboo Location: on the back, bitch	They don't go door to door around here, haven't for a very long time. They stand outside stores and sell the cookies. The Tagalongs are gone-at least by name. The new ones are thinner too. They don't make their lemon sandwich cookies anymore either. The thin mints are ok, but not nearly as good as they used to be; I used to buy 6 boxes of those at a time. __________________ Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

02-22-2009, 09:31 AM	#14 (permalink)
biznatch Junkie Location: France	Man, I'm not gonna go out of my way to help the Girl Scouts survive. They need to become cooler, make better cookies, and teach more valuable lessons to the girls. I'm serious, earn our money, girl scouts. __________________ Check it out: The Open Source/Freeware/Gratis Software Thread

02-20-2009, 12:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
BadNick Riding the Ocean Spray Location: S.E. PA in U Sofa	I'll buy an extra box to help them out...when I see them. I haven't yet seen or heard from them this year. I'll take 4 X Samoas, 2 X Thin Mints, maybe a couple more others.

02-20-2009, 01:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
Glory's Sun Registered User	yeah... my wife brought home a couple of boxes.. no thanks. I'm not a sweet eater, and even if I was it just wouldn't mesh with how I eat these days. I tend to agree that it could be the whole calorie thing, it's a bit early for people to be abandoning their New Year resolutions.

02-20-2009, 03:06 PM	#9 (permalink)
laconic1 Junkie	I haven't had a Girl Scout cookie in years. No one ever comes around to sell them, and none of my coworkers have daughters in the age range to be Girl Scouts. Plus I avoid stores like the plague on weekends so no opportunity to pick them up either. Although I do remember enjoying Thin Mints and Samoas.

02-21-2009, 04:43 PM	#10 (permalink)
cdwonderful another passenger Location: Youngstown, Ohio	they made them smaller to keep the price down. But I will buy them anyway, I am a sucker for a cute kid in a uniform, Girl Scouts, Band Candy. Whatever. They are generally gonna get a sale from me. After all, its tough being a kid.....

02-22-2009, 09:53 AM	#15 (permalink)
amonkie Drifting Administrator Location: Windy City	I'd be curious to see how the number of girls actually in Girl Scouts is affecting the cookie numbers. If there's fewer bodies out there peddling cookies - and I personally have not seen 1 lick of announcement in these parts, its no wonder the sales are down. __________________ Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna

02-22-2009, 10:06 AM	#16 (permalink)
World's King Here Location: Denver City Denver	I would just like to point out that it's not my fault... I've eaten more then my fair share of Girl Scouts this year... __________________ heavy is the head that wears the crown

02-22-2009, 12:19 PM	#18 (permalink)
Anxst Condensing fact from the vapor of nuance. Location: Madison, WI	In the past few years I've started just giving them 10 bucks through Girl Scouts. They get more out of it, and I don't have to eat the damned cookies. __________________ Don't mind me. I'm just releasing the insanity pressure from my headvalves.