Why the Girl Scouts are elevating cookie costs in some locations — and canceling their bestselling Raspberry Rally taste

What’s extra, the viral new Raspberry Rally taste that was simply launched a yr in the past will probably be discontinued forward of the following Girl Scout cookie promoting season — which, nationally, will run roughly between January and April 2024, though some troops are already setting their cookie-sale dates and costs this fall. 

So, what’s happening right here? 

First, to be clear, not each single field of Girl Scout cookies throughout the nation is certainly changing into dearer, regardless of what some news shops have reported. The Girl Scouts of the USA advised MarketWatch that some native councils in several components of the nation are certainly elevating their costs — however then once more, another councils will not be elevating their costs in any respect.

There are 111 Girl Scout councils throughout the nation, which set native cookie costs based mostly on many alternative elements, together with inflation. A spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts advised CBS that the choice to boost their Girl Scout cookie costs to $6 a field starting Nov. 20 relies on “the costs associated with food production, labor and transportation,” for instance.

And the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson in New York lately made an identical announcement. The chapter’s interim CEO Helen Wronski advised Mahaz News that “in order to combat rising production and material costs, GSHH will be increasing the price of all cookie packages to $6.”

So examine together with your native troop to find out whether or not you’ll must cough up further dough for a field of Thin Mints or Trefoils in your neck of the woods.

Which brings us to the Raspberry Rally, a current addition to the Girl Scout cookie lineup that rapidly turned a fan-favorite. They have been described as a “thin, crispy” cookie, with a chocolate coating comparable in fashion to the basic Thin Mints, however as an alternative “infused with raspberry flavor” once they have been introduced in 2022, and rolled out for the 2023 cookie season originally of the yr. They have been such a success that they offered out inside hours of changing into obtainable on-line, and the $5 packing containers started popping up on resale websites like eBay for as excessive as $50 a field.  

In truth, they’re nonetheless going robust on eBay, corresponding to this itemizing for 34 packing containers of recently-expired Raspberry Rally cookies for $250, or slightly over $10 a field, or these 12 packing containers for $149, so simply over $12 apiece. Raspberry Rally cookies have been initially about $5 apiece, bear in mind.

So why are the Girl Scouts discontinuing such a scorching vendor? A spokesperson advised MarketWatch over e mail that the Raspberry Rally cookies have been launched final yr as a part of a pilot, online-only gross sales technique, however now they wish to prioritize their basic flavors corresponding to Samoas, Shortbread and Tagalongs, as an alternative.

“This was a fun and new way to teach girls omnichannel business skills and expand our cookie portfolio by introducing an exciting new flavor profile to the Girl Scout Cookie Program,” they stated. “While Raspberry Rally was extremely popular last year, we are prioritizing supplying our classic varieties” in 2024.  

What’s extra, it sounds just like the Girl Scouts of the USA wasn’t thrilled about Raspberry Rallies blowing up the resale market. “When cookies are purchased through a third-party seller, Girl Scout troops are deprived of proceeds that fund critical programming throughout the year,” a rep advised Mahaz News.

A Girl Scout spokeswoman declined to elaborate any extra on worth will increase or discontinued flavors with MarketWatch, however added, “Don’t worry! Girl Scouts will be back next season with your favorite flavors such as Thin Mints, Samoas/Caramel DeLites and Trefoils.”

That could also be chilly consolation to the cookie lovers who had been trying ahead to getting their arms on one other batch of Raspberry Rally treats, nevertheless. 

“RIP Raspberry Rally cookies. You were tasty. You were delicious. You were a taste explosion in my mouth. You will be missed,” tweeted one fan.

“How sad,” tweeted one other. “Couldn’t get them last year, and again this year. Oh well.”

“Never tried them, and I guess I never will,” added one other.

The Girl Scouts promote about 200 million packing containers of cookies — practically $800 million price — throughout every cookie season, making it the world’s largest entrepreneurial program for women. What’s extra, every troop votes on what to do with its cookie cash, whether or not that be funding a tenting journey, or organising kits to provide to the homeless.

And their gross sales technique has largely been a hit over the previous 106 years because of their conventional recipe mixing deep nostalgia and intelligent advertising and marketing, plus restricted provide and availability, because the cookies solely promote for about 4 months out of the yr. So prospects can really feel the necessity to replenish on these childhood favorites whereas they’re in season — in any other case, they’ll have to attend till the next yr to get their Girl Scout cookie repair.

Related: Here’s how the Girl Scouts will maintain girls rolling in dough all through their lives — past promoting cookies

Check out the economics of Girl Scout cookies right here.

And particular person Girl Scouts have actually proven themselves to be savvy cookie sellers — corresponding to viral anecdotes of some enterprising troops promoting cookies outdoors of marijuana dispensaries in states the place hashish has been legalized.