Girl Scout Cookie Prices Are Creeping Higher
Many regions are increasing the cost of the cookies for the first time in years.
Even the Girl Scouts aren't safe from inflation. A message sent to families today from Shannon Evers, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Oregon and SW Washington, outlined where the organization stands financially. As a parent whose kid has been to exactly one Girl Scout meeting so far and has grown attached, the email made me nervous.
The organization received some COVID relief during the height of the pandemic, Evers' note explained, but since "that relief is no longer available," the council has faced "a significant budget challenge" which, of course, has been "further exacerbated by the impact of inflation." So how do the Girl Scouts make up the difference? By tweaking the cost of the cookies.
Are Girl Scout cookies getting more expensive?
Fortunately the Girl Scouts aren't going anywhere, and neither are their cookies. But for their financial woes, the Girl Scouts expect you to pay. A draft of an FAQ document distributed to the community states that the majority of the West Coast Girl Scout councils are raising prices for "core Girl Scout cookie varieties" from $5 to $6 a package.
It has been five years since the council last raised the price on cookies. Local San Diego news reported in July on a potential price increase, and that it has been eight years since the cost of cookies has risen in that region.
The flavors subject to this increase include:
- Adventurefuls™
- Thin Mints®
- Samoas®
- Tagalongs®
- Do-si-dos®
- Trefoils®
- Lemon-Ups®
The new flavor, Raspberry Rally™, will be introduced at $6 a package (available exclusively online), while two "specialty flavors," Girl Scout S'mores® and Toffee-tastic®, will remain at their 2022 price of $6. Sounds like $6 nearly across the board for all cookies, then.
(No word on the price of Toast-Yay!, Caramel Chocolate Chip, or Lemonades, all of which are still listed on the Girl Scouts' cookie page as offerings in the current lineup.)
Is the Girl Scout cookie price increase for a good cause?
It seems that families in other regions of the country are receiving a similar message. Girl Scouts of Louisiana-Pines to the Gulf notified the community last year that it was increasing its prices from $4 to $5 for core cookies in the 2022 cookie season. The FAQ even includes a question about how Girl Scouts can charge so much for cookies when people can buy a much cheaper product at Walmart. The answer explains that people will continue spending on Girl Scout cookies instead of switching to Chips Ahoy because "Our customers understand they are supporting Girl Scouts."
The Oregon and SW Washington FAQ page outlines the various benefits of the cookie price increase, including community gains such as increasing financial assistance and troop proceeds. There are also benefits to the Girl Scouts organization specifically, such as investment in property improvements and public relations. In addition to the cookie price hike, the Pacific Northwest area council also eliminated ten positions from its roster, so perhaps future financial gains could be put back into job creation.
Whether or not this news makes you incensed, dejected, or simply hungry, remember that it's really all about helping the kids who are selling you the cookies. Even if their exhausted parents are technically the ones doing all the work of asking you to buy ten boxes in a Facebook message.