The Future of Girl Scout Cookies is Here

Girl Scout Cookie time is many people’s favorite time of year. Cute children setting up booths and handing out order forms for the annual fundraiser give customers a feeling of doing good when they order their cookies. But the Girl Scouts have a new addition to the cookie sales repertoire. For the first time in program history, scouts will now have the option of selling cookies online.

With the new program, called Digital Cookie, girls will be able to build their own personalized cookie websites. The sites are protected, so customers will need an access code from the Girl Scouts to order. Digital Cookie teaches girls to manage their websites, accept credit card orders, and process shipments, as well as allowing the girls to track their sales.

“Online cookie sales are a great way for the girl scouts to reach a new audience and further their target market. I’m sure the sales of Thin Mints will be even higher this year than they’ve ever been,” said Nate Ransom, co-owner of The Cravory, a cookie-ordering website.

Some parents are concerned that online cookie sales will suffer for lack of face-to-face interaction, but most parents feel that Digital Cookie will not replace in-person sales. Instead, they say it will allow friends and families who may live out of town to purchase cookies in addition to the in-person sales. Other parents like the safety aspect, saying that selling cookies online removes the need for girls to sell cookies door-to-door, an activity that is no longer encouraged.

Another aspect of Digital Cookie that parents like is that it allows the scouts to learn real-life business applications.

“Being in the 21st century, we need to give girls the tools to teach them how to be international businesswomen,” LaJoyce Perry-Trotter, co-leader of her daughter’s Fayetteville, Georgia troop, told CNN.

“Digital sales seem appropriate for kids who have been on computers pretty much since they were born. It brings the cookie program into a realm where kids are spending most of their time,” Shelley Johnson Carey, a Washington troop leader, added.

Ordering cookies online has its price – shipping costs $11.25 for orders up to six boxes. For people who prefer to order their cookies in person, sales begin the weekend of January 17th.