GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Yes, issues with the supply chain have struck one of America’s most treasured products: Girl Scout Cookies. But the people of West Michigan can breathe a sigh of relief. Leaders with the two councils that cover West Michigan say they don’t expect any delays or shortages.
The scare started in early February when one of the two bakeries that makes Girl Scout Cookies — Little Brownie Bakers — announced it was dealing with an ingredient shortage. Bakery officials told councils that several areas could see a delivery delay or some troops might not have all nine brands in stock at their booths.
The Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore — which covers the northwest portion of the lakeshore, including Kent, Ottawa and Ionia counties — uses the other bakery that is not dealing with a shortage. The Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan and the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, which covers southwest and mid-Michigan, is contracted with Little Brownie Bakers.
The council in southeast Michigan is staggering booth sales in their region to make sure every troop has access to all nine brands. Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, which covers the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek-area, says the inventory for its first round of sales and their upcoming cookie booths is already covered.
“We are on track for our initial deliveries as we had initially planned. We are not postponing any of those cookie deliveries,” Brenna Smith, the communications manager for GSHOM, told News 8. “We have cookie booths happening throughout our footprint this weekend and for the coming weeks, and we’re really excited for our girls to chase those entrepreneurial dreams and goals that they have.”
Smith is encouraging people looking for a specific cookie to hit the booths quickly to ensure they can get their favorites.
“At this point, we might have to limit some varieties at some booths depending on inventory as we have it. But we’re not concerned about not having cookies for our booths,” Smith said. “We’ve worked really hard to plan ahead and work with our baker and shift around our inventory between our regional centers, so we have the cookies that our girls need to earn what they’re striving for.”
Expect to see cookie booths throughout February and March. Some will continue into April and May as part of the Girl Scouts’ goal-getter program.
“Girls earn funds through the cookie fund for whatever it is they are trying to achieve,” Smith said. “Some girls have those big, audacious goals of trying to pay for their summer camp experience through the cookie program, or our group of girls that are going to Paris, France, this summer.”
All profits earned through the cookie program not only stay with the scouts, but it’s the scouts who decide what they want to do with them.
“The really cool thing about the Girl Scout Cookie Program is that it is entirely girl-led, meaning each individual troop and each girl gets to set her own goals and then go through the process of, ‘OK, if this is our goal, what does this mean for me? How many boxes of cookies do I need to promote and sell this cookie season in order to reach this goal,’” Smith told News 8.
To find a cookie booth near you, you can download the Girl Scouts’ mobile Cookie Finder App or search for cookie booths near you on the Girl Scouts’ website.
