The Girl Scouts may not sell out stadium tours like Beyonce or increase ticket sales for football games like Taylor Swift, but the scouts — and their baked goods — have an enduring and fervent fandom. Now, in the ramp up to Girl Scout Cookie season, news concerning the price of their treats proves that even the Scouts aren’t safe from inflation.
On Sept. 28, CNN first reported that Girl Scout Cookie prices are on the rise this coming season, which takes place across the country from January through April. A New York-based chapter, the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, said in a recent email obtained by CNN that all boxes will be sold for $6 per box, up from $5 for most cookie varieties last year.
“In order to combat rising production and material costs, GSHH will be increasing the price of all cookie packages to $6.00,” the chapter’s interim CEO wrote in the email, adding that they expect neighboring councils to “announce similar increases in the coming weeks and months.”
This isn’t the only chapter to announce a price increase ahead of the upcoming cookie season. On Sept. 29, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts told CBS affiliate WBZ-TV that beginning Nov. 20 — the start of that chapter’s cookie season — a box of cookies from the Boston-area Girl Scouts would also be increasing to $6.
“The decision to raise the price of Girl Scout cookies is based on the costs associated with food production, labor, and transportation,” spokeswoman Stacy Wilbur said in a statement to WBZ-TV. This was the first price hike for the cookies in the area since 2015.
This time, it appears that inflation is the culprit, which has claimed other a myriad of other victims like housing, gas, school supplies and even the $1 NYC pizza slice.
So, will you be shelling out a little extra for Samoas in your neck of the woods this season? A Girl Scouts of the USA spokesperson confirmed to TODAY.com that prices may indeed increase for some chapters across the country.
“Each of our 111 Girl Scout councils sets local Girl Scout Cookie prices based on several factors,” the spokesperson tells TODAY.com. “In some instances, councils are faced with the tough decision to raise the prices, though prices have remained steady in many areas for a number of years. When you purchase Girl Scout Cookies you are getting more than a sweet treat, all the proceeds stay local to help power amazing experiences for Girl Scouts in your community.”
The organization added it’s excited for its Scouts to showcase their entrepreneurial skills selling everything from Thin Mints to Toast-Yays this coming season.
Less exciting for the organization is the potential for a Girl Scout Cookie black market — something that actually happened last year, not an Onion headline.
In March 2023, after the Girl Scouts’ new Raspberry Rally flavor became the first cookie to be exclusively sold online, was a hit and quickly sold out, a reseller market opened up on eBay, with prices ranging from $15 to $180 for 10 packages, much to the chagrin of the Girl Scouts.
In a statement provided to TODAY.com at the time, the Girl Scouts expressed their “disappointment” in the “unauthorized resales” of their products, and stressed that it deprives the youth organization of its proceeds.
On Oct. 3, the Girl Scouts confirmed to TODAY.com that Raspberry Rally would not be returning for the upcoming season.
“Last year, Raspberry Rally cookies were introduced as part of a pilot online-only sales strategy,” a Girl Scouts of America spokesperson tells TODAY.com. “While Raspberry Rally was extremely popular last year, we are taking a pause this season to prioritize supplying our classic varieties.”
