Why are Girl Scout cookies so popular

It’s February, which means Girl Scout cookie season is in full swing. Many Americans are looking forward to its start, because they cannot buy their favorite pastries throughout the year. The fact is that the sales season lasts only a few weeks a year, but even in this short period of time, Girl Scouts manage to sell approximately 200 million boxes of cookies. This makes their baked goods national leaders, leaving even the beloved Oreo behind.

The tradition of selling homemade cakes began in 1917 as a way to raise money for the Girl Scouts in Oklahoma.

Such a move was quite successful, and a few years later this tradition spread to other states. In those years, the Girl Scouts sold ordinary shortbread, and its recipe was quite simple so that the girls could cook it themselves. Although, in fact, adults helped them, of course.

But the era of home baking did not last long, and in 1934 the Girl Scouts of Philadelphia entered into the first contract with a local bakery to supply cookies for sale. Collaboration with private bakeries helped to diversify the assortment: now the girls sold not only shortbread cookies, but also chocolate mint (which is the most popular type), as well as sandwich cookies with a cream layer. To date, two bakeries are responsible for baking cookies, which supply products to all Girl Scout organizations.

The first lady, Grace Coolidge, tastes Girl Scout cookies. 1923 – year
At the beginning of each sales season, a full list of the types of cookies that will be available to customers can be found on the organization’s website, but the choice will depend on where you live. The weight of the box is approximately 300 g, and the cost depends on the pricing policy of the organization in each state. Last year I bought them for $4.

So why is this cookie causing such a stir among buyers? ..

Firstly, they don’t mind supporting a good cause, because all the money from the sale of cookies (not counting the money spent on making them) goes to the development of local Girl Scout organizations, educational and recreational programs for girls.

Secondly, selling cookies helps Girl Scouts learn the basics of doing business, because their stands, websites and visits to neighbors are great practice for financial management, advertising and public relations development.

Well, in the end, people really like this wonderful tradition. Many are looking forward to the start of the selling season to buy a box of their favorite cookie, which may not be the most delicious pastry in the world, but has great symbolism for many residents.