Thin Mints or Samoas? Grab a box of each because Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) just kicked off the 2021 cookie season nationally. This year girls are selling in creative, socially distant and contact-free ways to keep themselves and their customers safe. 

Last year, due to the pandemic, girls were faced with challenges which forced them to quickly pivot their sales methods. From running virtual cookie booths on social media to setting up drive-through locations to facilitating orders that ship directly to customers’ doors, girls as young as five years old are continuing to embrace their entrepreneurial spirits, stay connected to their communities, and have fun by participating in the cookie program. And, the proceeds from each and every purchase stay local with the troop and its council to power Girl Scouts’ essential leadership programming.

“We’re proud of the resourceful ways Girl Scouts are running their cookie businesses safely and using their earnings to make the world a better place,” said interim GSUSA CEO Judith Batty. “This season, our girls will continue to exemplify what the cookie program taught them—how to think like entrepreneurs, use innovative sales tactics, and pivot to new ways of doing business when things don’t go according to plan. The cookie program is what keeps Girl Scouts thriving in communities across the country and is proven to build girls’ leadership skills and help them become successful in life.”

This season, GSUSA is collaborating with food ordering and delivery platform Grubhub so girls have another way to facilitate contact-free cookie orders. In select markets, with additional markets added throughout cookie season, consumers can order Girl Scout Cookies for pickup or delivery on Grubhub.com or the Grubhub app. A hands-on experience in managing e-commerce, local Girl Scouts will track and fulfill orders, manage inventory, and more, all using Grubhub’s back-end technology. As always, the proceeds benefit the troop and council while providing another innovative way to safely run the cookie program virtually. GSUSA is grateful to Grubhub for waiving all fees for the organization to make this new delivery option feasible for sales without reducing troops’ and councils’ proceeds. To kick off the collaboration, Grubhub is offering free delivery on Girl Scout Cookie orders through Feb. 14 with a minimum purchase of $15.

GSUSA is making it possible for all consumers nationwide who don’t already know a Girl Scout to purchase Girl Scout Cookies online for shipment to their doors. Beginning Feb. 1, customers can enter their zip code into the Girl Scout Cookie Finder to find a local troop to purchase from through the Digital Cookie platform for direct shipment or donation to local organizations. This additional contact-free method supports local girls while keeping their safety and skill building top of mind.

“Like other people running small businesses, Girl Scouts are growing their cookie sale online to connect to consumers who may be harder to reach during the pandemic, all while staying resilient and learning skills such as money management, goal setting, and customer service,” said Batty. “We are excited to open virtual cookie booths beginning February 1 to customers who don’t know a Girl Scout so they can still support girls during this challenging time for all of us.”

This year, Girl Scouts in select areas will offer the new Toast-Yay! cookie, a French toast–inspired cookie dipped in delicious icing and full of flavor in every bite. Toast-Yay! gives consumers a new way to celebrate moments of joy alongside other favorites, like Thin Mints and Samoas/Caramel deLites. And though social distancing measures may keep families and friends apart, cookie customers can share joy and stay connected this season through a gift-box option that ships directly to others via the Digital Cookie platform.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Girl Scouts of the USA

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