The most well known Girl Scout tradition is probably the Girl Scout cookie sale. Almost everyone has tried their cookies at least once, and with such a wide variety almost everyone has a favorite flavor. From thin mints to Caramel DeLites, there’s a cookie for every kind of person. This year, the Girl Scouts are expanding their reach by introducing three trendy new cookies and taking their sales to the Internet.
In 2015, the 98th year of cookie sales, the Girl Scouts are beginning to expand their market to people who prefer a healthier option by introducing gluten free and whole grain cookies, as well as by using their online program, Digital Cookie, to sell more cookies.
“The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest, most successful girl-led business in the world, and its power to teach girls business and financial skills that will serve them throughout their lives is unrivaled,” Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA said to CNN News.
Out of the three new cookies, two of them are gluten-free and the other one includes Greek Yogurt. Toffee-tastic, which has bits of toffee in it, and Trios, a mix of peanut butter, chocolate chips, and whole grain oats, are the two gluten-free options. The last one, called Rah-Rah Raisin, incorporates whole grain oats, greek yogurt, and raisins.
“Last year’s pilot program of gluten free cookies was met with positive feedback,” A representative for Girl Scouts of the USA told the online magazine, mashable.com. “Due to the high demand, these cookies will be available in almost all markets for 2015.”
Not only is the cookie selection being updated this year, but also the form of selling. For the first time ever, Girl Scouts all across the country are going to be able to sell their cookies online through their new app.
“The traditional program is not going away, it’s an iconic program,” Chavez said. “Girls have been using this program to learn business skills for decades. But what they’ve clearly told me is we needed 21st century platforms to run this business. The #1 reason girls can’t sell cookies is because they can’t reach their customers.”
The aim of the cookie sales makeover is to increase fundraising for the Girl Scout troops. By allowing more people access to a wider variety of cookies, the Girl Scouts program will hopefully have the funds to be able to expand their reach.
“This is an entrepreneurial program at the end of the day,” Chavez said. “They raise multi-million dollars that stay in their local communities. Girls use this revenue to fund their programs.”
The Girl Scouts are excited about the new opportunities to sell, and they think it’s going to help them increase their funds and improve the program.
“I think selling online shows that girl scouts is becoming more progressive,” Olivia Taylor, a freshman at Klein Oak said. “And the gluten free cookies are great because we can reach a whole new audience of people who want to support us, so it’s opening a new door for us.”