Girl Scout Cookie Shortage Hitting Troops Around the US
Girl Scout Cookies are the latest product being impacted by the global supply chain shortage, and consumers are not happy. Over the last month or so, stories from around the country have cropped up saying that local troops do not have enough cookies to keep their loved ones happy.
Girl Scout Cookie production has been impacted by a shortage of ingredients, a shortage of labor and complications with distribution in 2022, according to a report by Fast Company. Back on Feb. 10 the outlet reported that certain flavors were the subject of "nation-wide inventory concerns," and those are still raging today. The Girl Scouts Heart of Hudson in New York's Hudson Valley posted an update warning friends and family that they would not be able to buy cookies with wild abandon this year.
"We are in the process of finding out more information, including the impact on cookie booths," the post read. "We understand the frustration and inconvenience this may cause, and promise to keep you informed with updates as they become available."
Girl Scouts found some innovative success in 2020 and 2021 by pivoting to digital sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. This ranged from opening digital storefronts to coordinating on apps like Facebook and PayPal, then dropping cookies off on doorsteps with no contact. Those digital sales were some of the first to go during this supply chain shortage, since the scouts couldn't square their limited inventories with the orders coming in online.
According to Fast Company, one major kink in the supply chain is the Little Brownie Baker facility in Louisville, Kentucky, where many of the Girl Scout Cookies are typically made. A spokesperson from that facility said: "Recent labor and ingredient shortages have affected production of some Girl Scout Cookies. We are working diligently to fulfill orders and get cookies into the hands of hard-working Girl Scouts."
A spokesperson for Girl Scouts of the USA, Kelly Parisi, told the outlet that it wasn't all bad everywhere. She said: "We anticipate some councils will be largely unaffected, while other councils and girls may not reach their cookie goals. Girl Scouts of the USA is working with our baker to mitigate the impact to councils, troops, girls and customers."
Across the nation, Girl Scouts typically sell about 200 million boxes of cookies each year, amounting to about $800 million in sales. The profits go back to the scout troops to fund their programs, trips and charitable efforts. Those unable to find cookies this year can always make a donation to the Girl Scouts instead.