And that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Due to an increase in production costs and the hope of raising more funds for the organization, The Girl Scouts announced on Thursday, Nov. 5, that a box of cookies will now go for $5 a pop, an increase of 25 percent from the current $4 a box.
“The council sees the increase as an opportunity to offset natural price increases for running the cookie program — from the cost of raw materials and bakery production to transportation,” Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast VP of Marketing Tammy Gentry told Today.com.
At present, Girl Scout troops receive an average of 62 cents per box (priced at $4). With the increase, they’ll be able to take in an average of 90 cents per box, according to the organization’s chief marketing officer, Jan Goldstein.
Not that cookie lovers need to worry about a steady increase in their snacktime spending during cookie season — yet.
“We don’t want to be making an announcement once every few years,” Goldstein told CNBC. The Girl Scouts have held their prices steady for the last eight years.
On social media Thursday, the phrase “Girl Scout cookies” was the No.1 trending topic for the afternoon.
Many frequent buyers aired their grievances online.
Girl Scout cookies now going up to $5 a box. That's it, I'm out. You've gone too far this time Girl Scouts of America.
— GABE SPIEGEL (@GABESPIEGEL) November 5, 2015
I hate to break it to you, girl scouts 5$ a box is def short, i can get 2 packs of oreos, your overdoing the shortbread. #girlscoutcookies
— AliciaWholly (@akiddles) November 5, 2015
When I was a "Brownie", cookies were only $2 a box.. Now they're $5. I'm not 80, so that's some serious inflation! #girlscoutcookies
— Vanessa Brown (@VanessaBrownTV) November 5, 2015
I'm furious at news articles about #GirlScoutCookies $1 price increase–I just coughed up $20 for Boy Scout popcorn! pic.twitter.com/4VKBmw0nGB
— Emily Liner (@MsEmilyLiner) November 5, 2015
The price hike will be in effect for Girl Scouts in the greater Los Angeles area, San Diego, Hawaiii, and Eastern Massachusetts.