The first few months of each new year brings with it a habit that millions of Americans indulge in: Girl Scout Cookies. COVID-19 impacted cookie sales in 2020, canceling booths and in-person sales for thousands of troops, but Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA) has found a willing partner to help ensure 2021’s sales can go on as planned — albeit in a slightly different manner.
Grubhub will lend its ordering and delivery platform to GSUSA for local troops to fulfill cookie orders for consumers in a safe and contactless way. According to the scouting organization, the girls will gain a “hands-on experience in managing e-commerce, local Girl Scouts will track and fulfill orders, manage inventory, and more, all using Grubhub’s back-end technology.”
A GSUSA spokesperson told FreightWaves that proceeds from the cookie sales will continue to be routed to local troops as well as the local Girl Scouts councils. Unfortunately, consumers will not be able to buy from specific troops. Individual troops and councils will be making individual decisions as to whether to participate in the program.
“Councils work with Grubhub to decide when and where to host contact-free sales on the platform, and then councils schedule booths with local troops that would like to participate,” the spokesperson said.
When orders are placed, the girls will pre-package the order for a Grubhub delivery driver to pick up at a council-designated location. No Grubhub driver will pick up cookies at any girl’s or Girl Scout volunteer’s home to maintain safety and not breach any COVID-19 protocols.
“Same-day delivery is available when a cookie booth is scheduled in your area, and you can also pre-order for delivery through Grubhub up to seven days in advance of when a Girl Scout Cookie booth is scheduled,” the spokesperson said.
Customers can visit www.grubhub.com/food/girl_scouts to see if there are any local cookie booths in their area eligible for the Grubhub program. Until Feb. 14, Grubhub will be delivering cookies for free with a minimum purchase of $15. After that date, regular Grubhub delivery fees will apply.
“Any tips to drivers go directly to drivers, and any proceeds from the sale of cookies go directly to local councils and troops,” the spokesperson noted.
Starting on Monday, Girl Scout cookies can also be purchased online at www.girlscoutcookies.org. Local troops may also offer online ordering through the organization’s Digital Cookie platform. Online orders through Girl Scouts can be shipped directly to your home.
“We’re proud of the resourceful ways Girl Scouts are running their cookie businesses safely and using their earnings to make the world a better place,” said interim GSUSA CEO Judith Batty. “This season, our girls will continue to exemplify what the cookie program taught them — how to think like entrepreneurs, use innovative sales tactics, and pivot to new ways of doing business when things don’t go according to plan. The cookie program is what keeps Girl Scouts thriving in communities across the country and is proven to build girls’ leadership skills and help them become successful in life.”
A similar cookie delivery program is underway in Texas. The Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) have teamed up with Waymo to deliver cookies.
Waymo Via, the company’s delivery arm, will use its services to help transport cookies from a regional distribution hub in Dallas to another council hub, delivering more than 12,000 packages of Girl Scout cookies, the company said in a blog post.
“This activation helps GSNETX keep the cookie program running in a creative, contact-free way — while also teaching girls about entrepreneurship and innovation, just like the cookie program is all about,” the company said.
Click for more FreightWaves articles by Brian Straight.
You may also like:
The FreightWaves Top 10: Bankruptcies, capacity concerns, protests and Trevor Milton’s departure
