There’s a new Girl Scout cookie this year. Here’s how to get yours around Kansas City

Girl Scout cookies are back. For those pining for a box of Thin Mints or Caramel deLites, local Girl Scout troops have begun taking orders.

Local Girl Scout troops began taking orders for cookies in December and will begin selling at booths around the Kansas City metro area for four weeks starting on Feb. 11, according to Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri chief brand and marketing officer Gina Garvin.

This year Girl Scouts of the USA also added its brand new “Adventurefuls” cookie to its slate. The cookie is described as a brownie-inspired cookie with a caramel crème center and a hint of sea salt, according to the website.

“What I love most about it is the crisp,” Garvin said of the new cookie. “It almost has that wafer feel, along with a lot of other amazing elements.”

Tried and true flavors like Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties, Shortbread and Caramel deLites will also be available. Most cookie flavors are priced at $5. Specialty cookies like the gluten free Caramel Chocolate Chip will be $6, according to Garvin.

Check here for a full list of flavors.

How to order cookies now

There are a few ways that you can order cookies around Kansas City now.

Girl Scouts use a program called Smart Cookies, which allows girls to email and alert their friends and family, create custom links where you can purchase and select their preferred delivery method.

“I love how the Girl Scout Cookie program has that opportunity for a girl to learn all of those digital marketing skills and how you make a pitch, whether it’s on the phone or email because you can’t always see your customer,” Garvin said.

If you know someone who is a Girl Scout, you can ask for their customized Smart Cookies link. (If you don’t know a Girl Scout, keep reading!) Participants also accept paper orders, however, the online platform has made it easier for participants to limit in-person interactions during the COVID-19 surge.

You have the option to have cookies delivered directly from a local warehouse or to be delivered to your porch by the Girl Scout you ordered from. To make finding cookies easier, some girls may place door hangers in their neighborhood or even use custom QR code stickers.

“A lot of our girls are putting their QR codes on the family van that is driving around,” Garvin said. “You just scan and get the link, and you can direct ship your cookies.”

What if you don’t know any girl scouts?

If you don’t see a QR code while in traffic or hanging from your front door, there are still ways to score cookies. You just might have to wait a bit longer.

Girl Scouts will begin selling cookies at booths across the Kansas City metro area starting the weekend of Feb. 11 until the weekend of Mar. 4. These booths can be found at local Walmarts, churches or grocery stores, according to Garvin.

Once in-person sales begin, you can use an online booth locator to find cookies near you.

Girl Scouts of the USA will also be partnering with DoorDash to deliver cookies from cookie booths like the one that will be located in Crown Center, according to Garvin.

“We’re excited to have that in place too. That just helps our girls continue to have a delivery option to those customers,” Garvin said.

How are sales going so far?

Sales have decreased over the past couple years for Girl Scout councils across the U.S, due to COVID-19.

Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri (GSKSMO) saw a decline in sales and Girl Scout participants in the last couple years. Garvin said this year initial sales look to be a bit ahead of where they were last year, which is a good sign.

“It’ll be interesting to [see] kind of where we land,” she said.

Right now, GSKSMO is serving around 15,000 Girl Scouts with more than 70% active participation, according to Garvin.

“I think it’s important for customers to know that when you’re supporting a Girl Scout and our cookie program, it’s much bigger than going to the shelves and buying Oreos,” she said adding that the cookie program teaches young girls communication skills, business ethics and goal-setting that will follow for the rest of their lives.

“You’re really making a difference in the life of a girl.”