Where to Buy Girl Scout Cookies

You can only buy Girl Scout Cookies from a girl scout.  Currently, there is no central location, on-line store or single web site.  In fact, the way Girl Scout Cookies are sold is not uniform across the US because the organization is divided into regional councils which each determine how they sell the cookies which may include the following:

• A pre-order process whereby girls take orders, turn in their order cards, the council orders the cookies, then the girls go back to the customer to deliver them a few weeks later.
• Direct Sale whereby the girls have the cookies in their possession and sell immediately (the impulse sale—the best sale when it comes to Girl Scout Cookies)
• Fixed locations, typically outside supermarkets, where the girls have and sell cookies.  These locations are not uniformly located throughout the US with some areas having Girls Scout Cookie sales seemingly every 3 miles and others where your nearest location may be 60 miles away.

Additionally, each council runs their sales at different times of the year. There is a zip code locator at www.GirlScoutCookies.org that tells you when cookies go on sale and locations of sale. Cookies are on sale for a bout 5 weeks in each region, generally, during January to April. But again, the sale period can differ because it is controlled by each regional council.

Interestingly, you would think that the organization would sell Girl Scout Cookies on-line and year-round to maximize revenues to the organization. Selling on-line would be a great learning experience to have the girls design web sites and learn something about business in the 21st century.  The technology that is employed currently is limited to:

• A location app for the iphone and Android
• An online zip-code location finder of physical sale locations and hours
• An email request form whereby you can leave your email address and the local organization can contact you when their Girl Scout Cookies go on sale

In fact, not even the price is uniform across the US or the Girl Scout Cookie types.  Each local council sets the price per box, so the price per box may vary from one council to another and from one year to the next.