Girl Scout cookies are feeling the bite of inflation, sending prices higher
Girl Scout troops will soon start selling cookies in many parts of the U.S., but some consumers may need to dig deeper into their wallets to pay for Thin Mints, Samoas and other specialities.
Cookies sold by some troops will cost as much as $6 a box, up from $5 per package last year. To be sure, some newer cookies, like S'mores and Toffee-tastic, had already been priced at $6, but now the increase extends to other varieties of the coveted treats in regions including including New York and Massachusetts.
The increase is due to inflation's impact on the cost of ingredients and other aspects of cookie making. The Girl Scouts have been selling cookies for more than a century to finance the activities of local councils and troops, with the treats originally selling for 25 cents to 30 cents a dozen to help members learn skills like business ethics and marketing, according to the organization.
"Each of our 111 Girl Scout councils sets local Girl Scout Cookie prices based on several factors," a spokesperson for Girl Scouts of the USA told CBS MoneyWatch in an email. "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."
Inflation rose by an annual rate of 3.7% in August, down from a 40-year high of 9.1% in June 2022. The cookies, which are traditionally sold between January through April, sold for roughly $4 a box in 2014.
Whether the nation's appetite for Girl Scout cookies is diminished by the higher costs remains to be seen. But if recent history is a guide, the cookies will likely enjoy robust sales.
Earlier this year, the Raspberry Rally — a crispy chocolate-covered, fruit flavor-filled confection billed as a "sister" to the popular Thin Mint — quickly sold out, only to be hawked online for a premium.