The Girl Scouts River Valleys Cookie Program has ended for 2023.
Cookie Booth Basics
- All cookie booths must be approved by Girl Scouts River Valleys, except those held at a private residence or exclusively virtual booths.
- Girl Scouts and volunteers are to follow instructions provided by the cookie booth partner (as noted in Smart Cookies), follow all health and safety guidelines, and practice good customer service skills.
- Participation in cookie booths is a troop activity. The opportunity to participate must be offered to all members of a troop. Review the rest of our cookie booth policies on Cookie Central.
Credit Card Payments
Using Smart Cookies to process credit card payments is a quick way for customers to pay for their cookie booth purchases. Once again, Girl Scouts River Valleys will cover the fees for troop credit card transactions using Smart Cookies. Girl Scouts/troops can do this using Smart Cookies on a mobile device.
- How it works: You can ask the customer to hold up their card while you type it in to your Smart Cookies account. Using an iPhone? Simply scan the credit card. The image does not save to the phone. This feature is not available for Android devices.
- When prompted, you can enter an email address for the customer so they receive a confirmation email once the transaction is completed. A confirmation screen will appear to notify you of a successful transaction. You can view all credit card payments under the View Booth Credit Card Payments tab in Cookie Central.
Getting Ready for Your Booth
- Sign up in Smart Cookies. Refer to the Smart Cookies Guide for instructions.
- Review the booth notes in Smart Cookies for any special instructions for the location.
- Use the sales per hour information available in Smart Cookies to help you determine how much inventory the troop will need for the booth.
- Pack your supplies: Cookies (of course), a booth tally sheet, payments accepted flier, posters, a cash bag and change, pens, calculators, a table and chairs (if needed), and your smart phone for taking credit card payments. Want to be extra? A tablecloth, marketing display, plastic tubs to store cookies, and grocery bags are just a few additional items to have on hand.
- Remind girls to dress for the weather, in case the cookie booth is located outside.
- Keep current and follow Girl Scouts River Valleys’ COVID guidance and follow any safety expectations from booth partners.
During and After Your Booth
- We got spirit, yes we do! Remember to bring your Girl Scout spirit! This means respecting the people and space around you while having a friendly and positive energy and, most of all, having FUN!
- Track your sales using the tally sheet, and later enter them into Smart Cookies using the Smart Booth Divider when you get home. Quick tip: Be sure to count your cookie inventory and your cash/change before opening your booth, and then again at the end to make certain it all adds up!
Booth Types & Participation Options
Visit Cookie Central for the most
up-to-date cookie booth information.
Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. Cookie Finder Direct Ship Troop Sales
All troops participating in the 2023 Cookie Season will be added to the GSUSA Cookie Finder, which helps customers find nearby cookie booths. Customers use the Find Cookies feature available on the Girl Scouts River Valleys website or at www.GirlScouts.org. Customers using the Cookie Finder view local troops and are able to purchase cookies for direct ship or for cookie donations. At the end of the sale, you’ll transfer these sales to participating Girl Scouts. Watch for details in The Cookie Press and on Cookie Central.
Hybrid Cookie Booths for Online Sales or Curbside Pick Up
Through a hybrid option for a cookie booth, your troop will be able to share a link to friends and family using social media, text, email, or web meetings (like a Facebook live event), for direct ship OR curbside pickup cookie orders. For the curbside pickup option, troops can announce and share the date, time, and location of their curbside pickup. Once announced, customers then can place their order, pay online and pickup their cookies, all while staying in their vehicle. Troops have orders ahead of time so they know the cookie inventory needed to fill the customer orders..
In-Person Cookie Booths
Council-Secured booths are arranged by Girl Scouts River Valleys staff with our corporate and community partners. The sign-up process for these booths is in two phases: Lottery and First-come, First-served (FCFS). A calendar of sign-up dates and times will be published on Cookie Central and in the Cookie Press.
Troop-Secured booths are arranged by troops at local businesses that don’t have an existing partnership with Girl Scouts River Valleys. Having your troop contact local businesses is an awesome way for girls to learn business strategy and people skills.
Lemonades Stands are group sales on a person’s property. Girls can gather together in pairs or more and sell right from their yard! The troop can enter this as a troop secured booth to use Smart Cookies to process credit card payments, and enter sales in the Smart Booth Divider to distribute credit to the Girl Scouts that worked at the booth.Check out the Smart Cookies Guides on Cookie Central to review the steps for scheduling council-secured booths, entering lottery choices, and entering troop-secured booths.
Check out the Smart Cookies Guides on Cookie Central to review the steps for scheduling council-secured booths, entering lottery choices, and entering troop-secured booths.
Check out the to review the steps for scheduling council-secured booths, entering lottery choices, and entering troop-secured booths.
Cookie Booth Raspberry Rally Flyer
As you’ve heard, the new Raspberry Rally is a cookie that is only available through Smart Cookies direct ship for delivery directly to a customer’s home. Add your troop’s direct ship QR code to the special Raspberry Rally Cookie Booth Flyer for customers to order and support your troop on the spot.
No Matter Which Booth(s) You Participate in…
Make it a Learning Opportunity
Cookie booths are a great opportunity for girls to see what it’s like to run a small business. Assigning roles like greeter, order packer, change-maker, etc. and switching them often can help the girls stay engaged, learn new skills, and grow confidence! Keep in mind, roles can always be adjusted depending on girls interests. Remember to feature important information like your troop number, your troop’s chosen donation recipient, your sales goal, and creative signage to draw customers in.
Enter Sales Into Smart Cookies
Since cookies sold at booths come from troop inventory, Girl Scouts aren’t financially responsible for them. You’ll find the Smart Booth Divider instructions in the Smart Cookies Guides on Cookie Central to learn how to allocate cookie sales for booth participants. to learn how to allocate cookies for booths.
It’s Time to Celebrate!
Hooray you did it! Give yourself a pat on the back for completing a booth and getting another step closer to reaching those cookie goals!
Summary of Resources
General Resources
-
- Raspberry Rally Cookie Booth Flyer – Add your troop’s direct ship QR code to this flyer for customers to order and support your troop at your booth.
- Cookie Booth Policy – Read the Girl Scouts River Valleys Cookie Booth Policy before planning your cookie booth sale.
- Cookie Central – Your one-stop hub for all things cookies.
- GirlScoutsRV.org/Cookie-Donations – Learn more about Cookie Care donation options.
- ABCSmartCookies.com – Use Smart Cookies online to sign up for a council-arranged booth, request a troop-arranged booth, report booth sales with the booth divider, and so much more. Sellers and volunteers are able to use their online account starting November/December.
- Smart Cookies Guide – Use these step-by-step tutorials to guide you through signing up for a council-arranged booth, requesting a troop-arranged booth, reporting booth sales with the booth divider, and so much more.
- GirlScoutsRV.box.com/Booth-Instructions – Each council-arranged booth location has a special set of instructions.
- GirlScoutsRV.Box.com/Historical-Booth-Data – View historical booth data from past years. These sales are self-reported and are not a guarantee of sales.
- Mid-Season Sales Data – Check sales at your booth location for an estimate of how many cookies to bring. These sales are self-reported and are not a guarantee of sales.
- Cookie Booth Locations-Do Not Contact List – Includes all potential council-secured cookie booth locations. Please review this list prior to securing your own troop cookie booths to ensure that you don’t call a location that is already council arranged. Finalized council-secured cookie booth locations are listed in Smart Cookies.
Cookie Booth Kit
- Meet the Cookies Poster – Show customers all available cookie varieties by posting this colorful poster at your booth.
- Cookie Business Cards Sheet – Girls can write their troop numbers on these fillable business cards and share with customers.
- Cookie Door Hanger – Troops can leave these customizable door hangers with customers.
- Can’t Eat ‘Em, Treat ‘Em Poster – Encourage customers to donate a boxes of Girl Scout cookies by posting this colorful poster at your booth.
- Cookie Booth and Sales Guide – Are your girls ready to sell at cookie booths? Here is your go-to for tips, how to get started, what to bring, and more!
- Payments Accepted Flyer – Post this at your cookie booth to show what type of payments your booth accepts.
- Tally Sheet – Use this sheet to keep track of the cookies sold at each cookie booth and to help report your sales in Smart Cookies.
