Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Cookie Booths! How Your Troop Can Plan & Host One!




The Girl Scout Cookie Program has been transforming girls into G.I.R.L.s (Go-getters, Innovators, Risk-takers, Leaders) since 1917, when Muskogee, OK saw the first-known sale of cookies by Girl Scouts. 

Cookie Booths have been a common sales technique since the early 1950's, when Girl Scouts were setting up stands in the malls that were emerging across the country. 

At a Cookie Booth, Girl Scouts sell cookies at area venues – popular areas include area stores, their churches, local community events, etc. It's a great way for girls to practice their leadership and financial literacy skills while working together as a team. 








Helpful Hints to Volunteers: 
(from the Volunteer Cookie Manual)



Where Can a Troop Have a Cookie Booth?

Troops can hold cookie booths at local businesses, their place of worship, community events, gas stations, etc.  Troops should contact all venues for permission before setting up their booth. 

Due to high demand for these spaces, Service Unit Cookie Managers will schedule the following venues: Wal-Mart, Rural King, Lowes', Flying J, Love's and Travel Centers. 

The information for these sites will be uploaded into eBudde as Council Booth sites, but troops can secure any other business or location in their own Service Unit area.  Troops must stay within their Service Unit jurisdiction; however that does not mean that troops have to stay in the town they are from.  

Selling in another Service Unit is only allowed with written approval - troops must fill out a form and submit with a seven day grace period for approval. Troops must also visibly display their troop number and service unit at their booth location. 


Enter Your Cookie Booths Into eBudde

Troops need to enter their cookie booth information in eBudde under "My Sales."   Customers are looking for Girl Scout Cookies - help them and help your troop by making your cookie booth easy to find!  Information entered into eBudde helps GSSI direct customers to your booth, makes it easy for local media to share and lets people utilizes Girl Scouts' national Cookie Finder app to get cookies. 



How to Order Cookie Booth Cookies 
  1.  Log in to eBudde 
  2. Go to the Transaction tab 
  3. Click Add a Transaction 
  4. In the Pickup box, choose a date and time. NEW - Cupboard Hours of Operation will now be shown when placing booth cookies. 
  5. In the 2nd Party box, Cupboard needs to be selected. In the next box, choose the cupboard in which you plan on picking up your cookies. 
  6. Enter your troop order. Make sure you put your order in as cases unless you are filling Goal Getter or Girl Delivery cookies. 
  7. Click Save/Print. Please take this receipt with you when you pick up the cookies



No Cookie, Cookie Booth

Troops can even set up a cookie booth without the actual cookies!   Use media coverage around National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend to collect donations to send cookies to the U.S. Military through Operation: Sweet Treats donations. There is no inventory to manage and sales count towards girl rewards and troop proceeds! 
  1. Contact your local place of worship or mom and pop stores in your community. You may not contact any businesses listed on the eBudde booth scheduler. 
  2. Set up the date and time to attend. 
  3. Customers support your troop and Operation: Sweet Treats; you collect funds for those donations at the booth. 
  4. Enter your No Cookie, Cookie Booth in eBudde as a non-council sponsored cookie booth. 

To get ideas on where to hold your cookie booth or to find out some best practices, contact our Product Program team at nutsandcookies@gsofsi.org or hop on Leaders Lounge to hear from experienced GSSI volunteers.