With Christmas, New Year’s, and Valentine’s Day now behind us, what’s the next thing to look forward to in this long stretch of winter before Spring Break? Girl Scout Cookies!
In western Pennsylvania, sales started on January 7th and ran until February 15th. If you didn’t order from a Girl Scout during this window, don’t worry—sales run until March 23rd at booth sales around the community.
Although the price may seem expensive at $6 per box, funds raised through cookie sales benefit sellers in a variety of ways. Troops directly receive a portion of the sales, and some of the cost leftover helps subsidize the registration cost of Girl Scout sponsored camps, support the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, and provide support to girls and troops who face monetary barriers.
Girl Scout cookies originated in 1917 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Girls from Mistletoe Troop had the idea to sell cookies they made at home in their kitchens to make money to fund their projects. Other troops soon followed in their footsteps, and the idea spread rapidly. In 1936, commercial bakers jumped in to help meet the growing demand for cookies.
The cookies sold currently are baked by two different companies: ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers. Each Girl Scout council chooses one of the bakeries to partner with, and our region, North Allegheny East, partners with Little Brownie Bakers.
Sarah Slegal, the Cookie Coordinator for our region, told The Uproar, “Our region covers from Erie down to Washington, PA, and then almost all the way to Johnstown—we’re a pretty big area.”
Girl Scouts in NA East sold 21,600 boxes of cookies for initial orders, which was before booth sales.
Scouts of any age can sell cookies, starting at the Daisy level in kindergarten and first grade and ending at the Ambassador level for 11th and 12th graders. Slegal explained, “A typical sale is anywhere between 50 and 120 boxes a girl. Generally, that’s where they usually hit. What most troops like to do, especially the younger girls, the first prize starts around 40 boxes, so we always encourage the girls to get to at least 40 boxes so they can get a prize.”
Some girls excel in their sales by selling to local businesses.
“Gigi’s Cupcakes used to make cupcakes with our Thin Mints and Samoas,” Slegal said. “Wendy’s is doing a Thin Mint Frosty to compete with the Shamrock Shake. One year, Cheesecake Factory bought Girl Scout cookies and used them as a base for their cheesecake. Businesses will try to do that because then that money goes back to Girl Scouts and more so the girl, so then they are making a profit for themselves as well. Businesses will also buy them and give them as gifts, for staff members and staff appreciation.”
Additionally, sales have been higher than usual this year for a specific reason: Lent starts in early March instead of mid February, allowing customers ample time to enjoy some cookies.
“A lot of people give up sweets for Lent. We notice sales are a little better when Lent is later,” Slegal said.
While all cookies are enjoyed by customers, one continuously ranks as the most popular.
“Nationally, Thin Mints still rank as the top selling cookie. They are the top selling cookie here (in NA East). We had 1,800 cases at the warehouse for initial sales and the majority, 730 of those boxes, were Thin Mints. The next one is the Tagalongs, I had over 600 boxes of that, and then the Samoa comes in third. People here in Pittsburgh love those three cookies especially,” Slegal explained.
NA East is undoubtedly filled with girls passionate about reaching sales goals. “Two years ago, NA East ranked in the top 20 for sales in Pennsylvania. Last year was a little lower, but we had less troops. This year, both NA East and NA West have rebounded in numbers- NA West has about 25 troops and we have 21. It’s the first time we’ve both had over 20 in a while. With that said, there’s more girls to sell cookies. We usually rank higher up with cookie sales,” Slegal said.
One NA East Girl Scout went above and beyond this year. Sixth-grader Edee Bianchi was our region’s top seller this year, selling 306 boxes during initial orders.
“I feel extremely excited to be one of the top sellers of the NA East Girl Scouts.,” Binachi said. “I initially set my goal at 300 boxes and ended up selling way more. I achieved this goal by working hard and not giving up. I also worked at booth sales and sold some at initial sales. Overall, I knew the money will ultimately go to helping my troop complete and participate in fun adventures.”
When asked why she took on the role of Cookie Coordinator, Slegal explained, “My daughter Natalie really likes interacting with the girls and both of us like organizing–she actually asked me to take on the role because she really enjoyed working with me on it–it’s just been something we have both liked to do for a long time.”
Slegal added that she hears a lot of comments from customers who are sad that they don’t have a Girl Scout in the neighborhood anymore.
“One of my new customers this year was excited because she lost her Girl Scout in the neighborhood a couple of years ago and hasn’t been able to buy cookies from her,” she said. “She was thrilled to find out that I sold them, just ecstatic. People really enjoy these cookies.”
When describing booth sales, she said, “It’s fun to see the girls out in public selling, and all the smiles. Most of the customers that come up for cookies are very happy, which is nice to see.”
If you live in the area and still want to buy cookies before the end of the month, you can visit these places in the community and support local Girl Scouts:
Gigi’s Cupcakes at McCandless Crossing: 10 AM-noon and 2-4 PM on Saturday, March 8th and Sunday, March 9th, and 10 AM-noon on Saturday, March 15th
Giant Eagle at McIntyre Square: 10 AM-4 PM on March 8th-9th and March 15th-16th
Lowes in McCandless: 10 AM-4 PM on March 8th-9th
La Roche University: 4:30-6 PM on March 17th and March 19th
Rachel McLaughlin has been a Girl Scout for 11 years and sells over 100 boxes of cookies annually.
