There’s a new Girl Scout cookie this year. Here’s how to get yours around Kansas City
Pining for a box of Thin Mints or Caramel deLites? Girl Scout cookies are back.
Local Girl Scout troops began taking orders for cookies in December. They will begin selling at booths around the Kansas City area for four weeks starting Feb. 11, said Gina Garvin, Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri chief brand and marketing officer.
This year, Girl Scouts of the USA also added “Adventurefuls” cookie to its slate. It’s a brownie-inspired cookie with a caramel crème center and a hint of sea salt, says the Girl Scouts’ website, gsksmo.org.
“What I love most about it is the crisp,” Garvin said. “It almost has that wafer feel, along with a lot of other amazing elements.”
Tried and true flavors like Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties, Shortbread and Caramel deLites will also be available. Most cookie flavors are priced at $5. Specialty cookies like the gluten free Caramel Chocolate Chip will be $6, according to Garvin.
The website lists all the flavors.
How to order cookies now
There are a few ways that you can order cookies around Kansas City now.
Girl Scouts use a program called Smart Cookies, which allows girls to email and alert their friends and family, and create custom links where you can purchase and select a preferred delivery method.
“I love how the Girl Scout cookie program has that opportunity for a girl to learn all of those digital marketing skills and how you make a pitch, whether it’s on the phone or email because you can’t always see your customer,” Garvin said.
If you know a Girl Scout, you can ask for their customized Smart Cookies link. (If you don’t know a Girl Scout, keep reading!) Participants also accept paper orders, but the online platform has made it easier to limit in-person interactions during the COVID-19 surge.
You have the option to have cookies delivered directly from a local warehouse or to be delivered to your porch by the Girl Scout you ordered from. To make finding cookies easier, some girls may place door hangers in their neighborhood or even use custom QR code stickers.
“A lot of our girls are putting their QR codes on the family van that is driving around,” Garvin said. “You just scan and get the link, and you can direct ship your cookies.”
What if you don’t know any Girl Scouts?
If you don’t see a QR code while in traffic or hanging from your front door, there are still ways to score cookies. You just might have to wait a bit longer.
Girl Scouts will begin selling cookies at booths across the Kansas City area starting the weekend of Feb. 11 until the weekend of March 4. These booths can be found at local Walmarts, churches or grocery stores, according to Garvin.
Once booths open, you can use an online booth locator to find cookies near you.
Girl Scouts will also be partnering with DoorDash to deliver cookies from cookie booths, such as the one that will be in Crown Center, according to Garvin.
“We’re excited to have that in place too. That just helps our girls continue to have a delivery option to those customers,” Garvin said.
How are sales going so far?
Sales have decreased over the past couple years for Girl Scout councils across the U.S, due to COVID-19.
The local Girl Scouts council saw a decline in sales and participants in the last couple years, but Garvin said this year initial sales look to be a bit ahead of last year’s.
“It’ll be interesting to (see) kind of where we land,” she said.
Right now, the local council serves around 15,000 Girl Scouts with more than 70% active participation, according to Garvin.
“I think it’s important for customers to know that when you’re supporting a Girl Scout and our cookie program, it’s much bigger than going to the shelves and buying Oreos,” she said. The cookie program teaches young girls communication skills, business ethics and goal-setting they can use for the rest of their lives.
“You’re really making a difference in the life of a girl.”
This story was originally published January 18, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
