Girl Scout Cookie sales: more than big business for little girls ...

It?s the time of the year when even the most diet-conscious consumers are enticed to expand their caloric bottom-line and indulge a little.

Following a Saturday morning ribbon-cutting ceremony, Girl Scouts of the Lubbock area council kicked off the 2013 Cookie Sale. Thousands of boxes of cookies were delivered by semi-trucks to the parking lot of the Indiana Avenue Baptist Church. Cases of cookies were unloaded by conveyer belt and distributed among the 600 Girl Scouts present.

?It is a fun thing to be a part of,? said Constance Barbian, vice president of communications for the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce. ?Its always to see kids excited about working toward something.?

Last year, 1,400 local Girl Scouts participated in the annual cookie sale, selling more than 325,000 boxes of cookies and grossing sales of more than $1,137,00.

Nationwide, Girl Scout cookie sales for last year equated to $7 billion in gross sales.

What makes Girl Scout cookies such a booming business? According to Christi Baker, area product sales manager for the Girl Scouts, it is more than just a cookie.

?People look forward to buying the cookies each year as almost a tradition. They like to see them out selling, and like knowing they are doing what they can to help contribute to the positive influence of the program on their lives.?

Consistent support from local community typically results in yearly sales increases. Cookie sales this year were anticipated to be about the same as those of 2012, but may actually take a rare hit due to the closure of the Plainview Cargill meat-processing plant announced Thursday.

?We have a lot of troops in Cargill,? said Baker, ?with close to 2,000 people there suddenly jobless, sales are bound to decrease. Cookie sales for this year were anticipated to be about equal to those of 2012.

Since 1917, the annual cookie sale has been anticipated by Girl Scouts and consumers alike, but for much different reasons.

Just about everyone has a favorite cookie, with zero grams of fat per serving, no preservatives and all natural peppermint oil and cocoa, Girl Scout cookies will satisfy a sweet tooth without blowing a diet.

While consumers salivate over finally tasting their favorite variety, Girl Scouts are eager to get out and earn money that pays for troop activities, according to Veronica Estrada, resource development coordinator for the Lubbock Regional Council of the Girl Scouts Texas Oklahoma Plains.

?The girls are usually very good at finding a way to spend all of the funds they earn,? she said.

Parents don?t mind pitching in to provide a little extra help during cookie sales,? Estrada said.

The Girl Scout program is family-oriented, and parents appreciate money saved the family when the girls earn money for projects through the cookie sales, she said.

?It is really great to see a bunch of young girls collectively set a goal for a trip or an event come together and implement a plan of action to accomplish their goal,? said Estrada. ?Not only do they accomplish the goal, they are excited to get out and do the work it takes to get there.?

Selling cookies is profitable and teaches valuable life lessons to benefit them into adulthood, Baker said, ?The cookie program teaches skills in five areas: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.

Girl Scouts learn goal-setting skills by establishing cookie sales goals individually and as a troops after identifying a what trip or activity they want to pay for.

Decision-making skills are learned as Girl Scouts develop a sales plan for when, where and how they will sell cookies, either door-to-door, through family and friends or a community troop booth.

Budgeting, making change for customers and keeping track of order money teaches money management skills.

Girl Scouts learn to be honest in the process, developing strong business ethics by being responsible and accountable for the cookies and money they have access to during the sale, Baker said.

As Girl Scouts become more comfortable meeting and talking to new people, particularly new adults, people skills that improve their ability to interact with a variety of people develop.

More important than paying for a trip is for every Girl Scout, from age 5 to 18, to posses the skills necessary for every step of the transaction.

?It is really awesome when you see a 5-year-old counting out correct change to a customer,? said Estrada.

Some Girl Scouts go above any beyond basic business skills to sell cookies, using tools like business cards, presentations, newsletters and charts to help obtain their sales goal.

Estrada, who has been in her position for five years, has seen firsthand the positive influence Girl Scouts can have on a young girl?s life. A Girl Scout herself, Estrada graduated from the program, receiving the program?s highest award, the Gold Award.

Research conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute reflects that 66 percent of women of professional achievement were Girl Scouts at some point in their youth, and 82 percent of high achieving alumnae believe Girl Scouting influenced their success.

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Source: http://lubbockonline.com/business/2013-01-19/girl-scout-cookie-sales-more-big-business-little-girls

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