The New Economics of Girl Scout Cookies

It’s Girl Scout cookie season, and some of those bright shining faces in brown sashes and green vests are hawking more than Thin Mints and Samoas. They’re selling a new business plan. 

This year, Girl Scouts is rolling out a pilot program that will try to increase profits by doing the unthinkable: cutting its cookie offerings to a slim six. Don’t worry if your mouth waters for Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Do-Si-Dos, or Lemon Chalet Cremes. Those flavors survived the girls’ axe. Other flavors like Dulce de Leche and Thank U Berry Much weren’t so lucky.

The great cookie cutting of 2011 is part of an ongoing “efficiency” campaign at Girl Scouts to consolidate membership and boost profit at a time when youth organizations are struggling to keep all their girls and sell some of their cookies.

Read the rest of Derek Thompson’s very serious article on a very serious issue (Seriously).

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5. wtenews reblogged this from theatlantic
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7. crackedshell reblogged this from brianfeldman and added:

   No. Caramel deLites/Samoas is a regional thing. Where you are determines the name.

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10. satmary reblogged this from nickdouglas
11. nigelincubatorjones reblogged this from brianfeldman and added:

    Good riddance. Berry Munch sounds just so gross. Ew.

12. soponalimb reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    Whew! Glad Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos made the cut! theatlantic:

13. robertauguste reblogged this from nickdouglas and added:

    @sasha0801 @jennyauguste - This year, Girl Scouts is rolling out a pilot program that will try to increase profits by...

14. brianfeldman reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    C’mon, dude. Everyone knows that Samoas changed their name to Caramel de Lites years ago. Where have you been?

15. iamsosorry liked this
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17. nickdouglas reblogged this from susie-c and added:

    OMG everyone, I wondered what other flavors got cut, and CNN Money (?) says it’s only those two flavors. THIS IS NOT...

18. carikub reblogged this from chellysilverman
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20. bfulk reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    It’s Girl Scout cookie season, and some of those bright shining faces in brown sashes and green vests are hawking more...

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    BITCH I WANT MY ANIMAL CRACKERS

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28. dumbassfils reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    Those Neo-Liberal mother fucks are privatizing Girl Scout cookies and you guys aren’t even paying attention. That means...

29. blessthisjess reblogged this from villagevoice and added:

    If they didn’t make a box $4 a pop, Girl Scouts would sell more cookies. Easy as that.

30. bettie-too liked this
31. clairevo reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    Among the WTFs in this article is my most pressing question: what the F is a Berry Munch?

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40. susie-c reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    I loved the peanut butter chocolate ones when I was a scout, but they were only one of I think six (or maaaybe eight?)...

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