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Girl Scout Cookies! (Image courtesy of Girl Scouts of Western New York)
Girl Scout Cookies! (Image courtesy of Girl Scouts of Western New York)

Girl Scout Cookie season kicks off in WNY

Submitted

Tue, Jan 12th 2021 11:20 am

Bringing joy during challenging times

Girl Scout entrepreneurs in WNY are selling cookies such as the new Toast-Yay! in what the organization called “safe, creative and socially distant ways,” including through the organization’s first national delivery services collaboration with Grubhub. Nationwide online Girl Scout Cookie ordering will be available Feb. 1.

A press release explained, “Girl Scouts of Western New York and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) kicked off the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie season nationally, during a challenging time when many Girl Scouts are selling in creative, socially distant, and contact-free ways to keep themselves and their customers safe. Even in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, girls are adapting their sales methods to share the joy of Girl Scout Cookies through the largest girl-led entrepreneurship program – including taking contact-free pickup and delivery orders through a new national collaboration with Grubhub.”

Additionally, online cookie ordering is available to consumers. Customers who don’t know a Girl Scout can still purchase cookies from a local troop for direct shipment to their homes or purchase and donate cookies to local organizations.

Innovative Girl-led Sales Methods

The press release added, “The Girl Scout Cookie Program has long taught girls how to run a business via in-person booths, door-to-door activity, and the Digital Cookie platform online, which GSUSA launched in 2014. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in the middle of the spring 2020 season and girls were faced with the same challenges as other small businesses, girls in Western New York quickly pivoted their sales methods. From running virtual cookie booths on social media to setting up drive-thru locations to facilitating orders that ship directly to customers’ doors, girls as young as 5 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.”

Alison Wilcox, CEO of Girl Scouts of Western New York, said, “Girls need our support more than ever, and we are committed to positioning girls for success both now and in the future through our comprehensive, year-round program experience for girls. As the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world, the Girl Scout Cookie Program provides girls with an unparalleled experience to refine their entrepreneurial skills and build a lifetime of leadership. We also welcome adult volunteers and girls to join Girl Scouts.”

This year, Girl Scouts is also providing new materials as part of its cookie badge program to support girls as they run their cookie business online and via social media, helping them to be best equipped to sell during these times.

Ordering Now Available Through Delivery Platform Grubhub

This season, Girl Scouts of Western New York is participating in a national collaboration with food ordering and delivery platform Grubhub, so girls have an additional way to facilitate contact-free cookie orders. In Western New York, consumers can order Girl Scout Cookies for pickup or delivery on www.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. This method will be on Grubhub from March 10-28 in Buffalo, Jamestown and Rochester. As always, the proceeds benefit the troop and council while providing another way to safely run the cookie program virtually. Grubhub is waiving all fees for the organization to make this new delivery option feasible for sales without reducing troops’ and councils’ proceeds.

Online Ordering Available Nationwide Feb. 1

Visit Girl Scouts of Western New York website at gswny.org where 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.

This year, Girl Scouts of Western New York will offer the new Toast-Yay! cookie, a French toast-inspired cookie dipped in icing. Toast-Yay! gives consumers a new way to celebrate moments of joy alongside other favorites, such as Thin Mints and 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.

How to Safely Purchase Girl Scout Cookies This Season

Girl Scout Cookie season is recognized in Western New York now through March 28. Consumers can support Girl Scouts by purchasing their favorite Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties or Shortbread in a few different ways:

√If one knows a registered Girl Scout, reach out to her to find out how she’s selling cookies in ways that meet local and state safety protocols.

√If one doesn’t know a Girl Scout, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org, text COOKIES to 59618 (message and data rates may apply. Text STOPGS for STOP, HELPGS for help), or use the official Girl Scout Cookie Finder app for free on iOS or Android devices to find socially distant or contact-free cookie booths if they are available locally. Booth sales will be available by troops March 6-28. Visit the booth finder after Feb. 7 for a list of nearby locations.

√Visit www.grubhub.com/food/girl_scouts to order via contact-free delivery from Grubhub in Buffalo, Jamestown and Rochester.

√Enter a ZIP code into the Girl Scout Cookie Finder at www.girlscoutcookies.org to purchase from a local Girl Scout troop online for shipment or to donate cookies to first responders and local causes.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program runs now through March 28. Cookies are $5 per box. Also, when customers order six-plus packages, shipping is half-off. Any order over 12 starts back at full shipping price. To learn more about supporting a girl with a purchase, girl membership or adult volunteerism, visit www.gswny.org or call 1-888-837-6410.

Girl Scouts of Western New York (GSWNY) serves 13,000 girls and more than 5,000 adult volunteers across the GSWNY jurisdiction, including Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties. The council’s administrative service centers are located in Batavia, Buffalo, Jamestown, Lockport, Niagara Falls and Rochester.

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