I've Never Heard Such Dissapointment about the Beloved Girl Scout Cookie

Recently, I've heard the same rant from folks near and far...they cannot understand why they have not been approached by the sweet little green-getuped Girl Scott to purchase cookies. I, too, fall into that category. I live in a child friendly and child abundant neighborhood yet nary a one has been knocking on my door. People have lamented to me that not only have they not seen their door to door GS of late, but they have not seen any card tables outside of common drug stores and/or grocery stores. What gives?

It seems that while overall cookie sales are down nationwide, the good folks of North Texas have managed a 2% increse in pre-sales this year. See below for USA Today's scoop on the situation:

Natalie Martin, director for marketing and communication at the Northeast Texas Council, near Dallas, says that council has seen a 2% increase in pre-sales this year. For the first time in 10 years, headquarters reduced each box size by about one ounce this year because of increased ingredient and transportation costs, says Denise Pesich, vice president of communications for Girl Scouts of the USA. The $3.50 average cost per box has been the same for the past five years, Tompkins says.

• Eastern South Carolina Council, near Charleston, shows pre-sales down 19% from 868,386 boxes in 2008 to about 700,000 boxes so far this year, says product sales manager Keisha Frost.

• Northeast Ohio Council, near Cleveland, reports pre-sales down about 16%, from 2.5 million to 2.1 million boxes, says Marianne Love, director of business services.

• Nation's Capital Council, in Northern Virginia, Washington and parts of Maryland, sees 5% fewer pre-sales, down to 3.7 million boxes, says public relations and marketing director Nancy Wood.

• Frontier Council in Las Vegas sales are down 1.3% from 612,792 to 604,524 boxes, says development director Emily Smith.

About two-thirds of the 133 Girl Scout councils nationwide sell cookies from January through March, Tompkins says. The rest sell in the fall. Most proceeds, she says, go to troops and councils to pay for trips, community projects and scholarships.

Love said some leaders are reporting longtime customers purchasing in smaller quantities."If a customer was purchasing six to eight boxes, now they're purchasing three to four," she says.

For the first time in 10 years, headquarters reduced each box size by about one ounce this year because of increased ingredient and transportation costs, says Denise Pesich, vice president of communications for Girl Scouts of the USA. The $3.50 average cost per box has been the same for the past five years, Tompkins says.

What about you? Have you purchased your GS Cookies this year? Or are you suffering from the Girl Scout Cookie moratorium, too? Let me know...maybe we'll have to let the good people at Council know that we have a shortage on our hands.