2018 Cookie Program Family Guide - gssjc.org Sales... · listen to and work with all kinds of...
Transcript of 2018 Cookie Program Family Guide - gssjc.org Sales... · listen to and work with all kinds of...
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Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council
2018 Family Guide2018 Family Guide2018 Family Guide2018 Family Guide
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Table of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of Contents
Welcome .................................................................... 2
Important Dates and Checklist ............................. 3
Why Participate ........................................................ 4
Top 5 Ways to Support Girls.................................. 5
Safety Rules .............................................................. 6
Cookie Basics .........................................................7-8
Using Social Media ................................................... 9
Girl Rewards and Promotions .......................... 10-11
Meet the Cookies ................................................... 12
Three ways to Sell .................................................. 13
Online Marketing .................................................... 14
ABC Smart Cookies .......................................... 15-16
Welcome to the largest, girl-led business in the world—Girl Scout Cookies!
Are you ready for an amazing experience with your Girl Scout? The Girl Scout Cookie Program is a hands-on leadership and entrepreneurial opportunity. Millions of girls learn how to run a business each year by actually running a business! Many successful business women and community leaders say they got their start selling Girl Scout Cookies. That’s pretty impressive! Your guidance and support is critical! With your help, your Girl Scout can “Stand Up, Stand Out” in the world. How can you help? By staying informed. Talk with your troop cookie manager and attend the family meeting so you’ll know what’s going on.
There’s More to Girl Scout Cookies Than What’s in the Box.
The Girl Scout Cookie Program is a symbol of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and an eagerly awaited event by millions of Girl Scout Cookie lovers and Girl Scout supporters. It also helps girls earn funds for Girl Scout activities. When a Girl Scout participates in
the Cookie Program, she’s building a lifetime of skills and con>dence. She’s learning goal setting, decision making, money
management, people skills, and business ethics.
and Welcome
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Important DatesImportant DatesImportant DatesImportant Dates
December 2017
Attend Family Meeting
Pick up sales materials from
TCM
19 Smart Cookies Login
information sent
January 2018
3 Girl/Adult webinar
6 Cookie Program opens
21 Initial order closes
February 2018
10 Cookie deliveries start
17 Cookie deliveries end
21 Cupboards open
23 Cookie booths open
March 2018
9-11 Walkabout weekend
25 Cookie Program closes
26 Final cookie money
due to TCM
April /May/June 2018
Celebrate with troop!
� Accompany your Girl Scout as she sells cookies
� Ensure your Girl Scout does not enter a customer’s
home or give out her full name.
� Ensure your Girl Scout collects all money when
cookies are delivered.
� Ensure your Girl Scout wears Girl Scout
identi>cation while selling cookies.
� Assist your Girl Scout with setting a Girl Scout
Cookie goal.
� Ensure your Girl Scout tells customers how the
troop plans to use their proceeds.
� Encourage your Girl Scout to tell customers about
supporting the First Responders of Hurricane
Harvey by purchasing Virtual Cookie Share cookies.
� Ensure your Girl Scout does not charge any more
or less than the Council price for a package of
cookies, $4 per package for all varieties with the
exception of Gluten Free Trios which are $5.
� Ensure accepted checks are payable to GSSJC and
includes the customer’s name and phone number.
Maximum amount of check to accept is $120.00
per customer.
� Ensure all deadlines set forth by Council and troop
are met.
� Ensure cookie booth commitments to troop are
kept.
� Ensure set up of cookie booth locations have prior
approval from the Council.
� Ensure each cookie booth has a minimum of 2 girls
and 2 adults and a maximum of 4 girls and 2
adults. One of the adults must be a friends and
family registered member and the other adult
must be the caregiver for one of the girls present.
Note: A girl whose family has an outstanding debt to
Council may participate in cookie booths and online
direct sales only.
and Checklist November 2017
Register Girl Scout
Girl Scout Family Cookie Checklist
� Ensure your Girl Scout is currently registered for the
2017-2018 membership year.
� Submit a signed Parent Responsibility and
Permission Slip form to troop cookie manager.
� Ensure your Girl Scout does not sell or take orders
prior to the >rst day of the Cookie Program, January 6,
2018.
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Why participate Why participate Why participate Why participate In the Girl Scout Cookie Program?
What are your hopes for your Girl Scout? Certainly,
you want her to make good decisions, know how to
manage money, and how to set and reach goals, like
attending college. The Girl Scout Cookie Program
helps her succeed today and prepares her for
future success. There’s a good reason it’s a
beloved family tradition.
1. Goal Setting: Girls set cookie sales goals
individually and with their team, create a plan to
reach them, and develop cooperation and team-
building skills all along the way!
2. Decision Making: Girls help decide how the
team will spend their cookie money, furthering
their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
3. Money Management: Girls take cookie
orders, handle customers’ money and gain
practical life skills in >nancial literacy.
4. People Skills: Girls learn how to talk to, how to
listen to and work with all kinds of people while
selling cookies. These experiences help them
develop healthy relationships and conEict-
resolution skills they can use throughout their
lives.
5. Business Ethics: Girls are honest and
responsible at every step of the Cookie Program.
Their business ethics here reinforce the positive
values they are developing as a Girl Scout.
To learn more about the Girl Scout Leadership
Experience, visit www.girlscouts.org/gsle.
For more information on the Girl Scout Cookie
Program, visit www.girlscouts.org/cookies.
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Support girlsSupport girlsSupport girlsSupport girls
Top 5 Ways Families Can
Help her sell online
Assist her with setting up her ABC Smart Cookies account. This site enables girls to:
• Set up their own personalized sales pages.
• Send e-cards to customers to place their order online, pay with a credit card, and have the cookies shipped directly to their address or another destination.
• Send e-cards to ask customers to place online orders for her to deliver.
• Set goals
• Track her progress.
Encourage goal-setting
Goal-setting is an important life skill. She’ll go far if she knows how to set a high goal and reach it.
• Ask about her troop’s goals and help her set personal goals.
• Help her complete the order card section that explains her troop’s goal.
• Encourage her to share her goal with customers. Customers want to help girls succeed.
• Guide her to set practical and useful goals about what she wants to learn and earn.
Support her sales
She needs you to be on her side as she develops the
con>dence to ask people for orders.
• Ask her questions and help her practice her
sales message.
• If your employer is supportive of your Girl Scout,
to contact your co-workers, work with her on
ways she can be involved with asking them to
purchase Girl Scout Cookies.
• Go with her to sell and deliver cookies.
• Help her network with family and friends, but let
her do the “ask” so she can learn important
business skills. Share email addresses of family
and friends she can contact asking for their
support in purchasing cookie orders online to be
girl-delivered or direct shipped.
• Help her to sort cookie orders for her customers
and write “thank you” notes to attach to their
orders.
Volunteer
Her troop needs help. Here are some ways you can
help:
• Organize cookie booths.
• Chaperone at cookie booths.
• Volunteer to help at cookie delivery day.
• Manage cookie inventory picking up cookies.
Practice safety
Help your Girl Scout understand the Girl Scout
safety rules, found on page 6 of this guide.
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Safety RulesSafety RulesSafety RulesSafety Rules
Girl Scout
8. Protect privacy. Girls’ names, addresses or email addresses should never be given out to customers. Use a group contact number. Protect customer privacy by securing the order card. Only use the customer contact Information for the Cookie Program.
9. Be safe on the road. Always follow safe pedestrian practices, especially when crossing at intersections or walking along roadways. Be aware of traf>c when loading or unloading vehicles.
10. Be Net wise. Take the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge before going online and follow the speci>c guidelines and dates related to marketing online.
Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge can be found using this link:
http://www.girlscouts.org/en/help/help/internet-safety-pledge.html
Safety First!
As your Girl Scout begins the Cookie Program always follow the safety guidelines listed below. Remember, be a role model by using business ethics and safety rules. Review these guidelines with your Girl Scout before the Cookie Program begins.
1. Show you’re a Girl Scout. Wear a Girl Scout uniform, membership pin or a cookie t-shirt.
2. Always use the buddy system. It’s not just one of the rules, it’s more fun.
3. Be streetwise. Become familiar with the areas and neighborhoods where she will be selling Girl Scout Cookies.
4. Partner with an adult. Girl Scout Daisies., Brownies, and Juniors must be accompanied by an adult when selling door-to-door. Girl Scout Cadette, Senior and Ambassador can sell with a buddy, but adults must still supervise.
5. Plan Ahead. Always have a plan to safeguard the money. Avoid walking around with large amounts of cash. Avoid keeping it at your home. place of work or in your vehicle. Turn in money collected to the troop cookie manager frequent-ly and always get a receipt for your records.
6. Do Not Enter a home or vehicle of a person, whether you know them or not without a parent/guardian. Never approach a car or vehicle without a parent/guardian.
7. Sell in the daytime. Sell only during daylight hours, if at all possible.
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Cookie BasicsCookie BasicsCookie BasicsCookie Basics
Who Can Participate?
A Girl Scout Daisy through Ambassador who has
a signed Parent Permission and Responsibility form
can participate. The only exception is girls whose
parent or guardian has a debt to the Council, either
through the Fall Product Program, Cookie Program
or an NSF check. They may participate in cookie
booths or in Smart Cookies Direct order taking only.
Those girls may also participate in program
activities related to the Cookie Program.
Who Provides Our Cookies?
San Jacinto Council contracts with ABC Bakers, a
GSUSA licensed cookie baker.
How Much Are the Cookies?
The price of the eight varieties of Girl Scout Cookies
in San Jacinto Council are $4 per package. Gluten
Free Trios are $5 per package and available via
Smart Cookies Direct or in select cupboards. Each
Council sets their own price for cookies.
What Does the Cookie Program Support?
The Cookie Program supports not only the activities
that your Girl Scout does with her troop, but also
supports the Council. All cookie proceeds stay
within the local Girl Scout organization and are used
to support girls locally! Girls decide how troop
proceeds are spent.
57% Funds girl programs, camps and services
locally
24% Cost of cookies
16% Troop, community and region proceeds
1% Girl Rewards
2% other costs of the sale
How Much Are Troop Proceeds?
Girl Scout Daisy through Ambassador troops can
earn $0.60 per package sold and money collected.
Cadette through Ambassador troops can choose the
Older Girl Option. This option allows the troop to earn
$0.68 per package, but girls will not earn reward
items or cookie dough.
It is important to remember that troop proceeds
belong to the Girl Scout troop or group and are not an
individual member of the troop. Decisions about
spending the troop proceeds need to reEect the
wishes and interests of all the girls.
When Do Girls Collect Payment?
Girls will collect payment only when the cookies are
delivered. Do not leave cookies with customers
without receiving payment. Do not take money for
cookies before delivery except for Cookie Share
Cookies. (pg. 10)
Are Cookie Purchases Tax Deductible?
Yes and No. Cookies purchased for personal or group
consumption are not tax deductible. However,
cookies purchased for either Virtual Cookie Share or
traditional Cookie Share, when the customer does
not receive the cookies or bene>ts directly by paying
for the cookies, are tax deductible. (Consult your
personal tax advisor.) Your troop cookie manager
can provide a tax receipt if needed.
What If a Customer Is Not Satis1ed With The
Cookies?
Customers can contact our baker at 1-800-221-1002
or by email at [email protected]. This
information can be found on each package of
cookies.
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Can I Take Orders at My Workplace?
Remember this is a girl program and girls should be
the ones to sell cookies. Contact your place of
employment to see if your Girl Scout can attend a
meeting or go from of>ce to of>ce. If that is not
possible, have her create a poster to display in a
designated area like a snack bar or lunchroom. She
should personally deliver the cookies or write thank
you notes for when the cookies are delivered.
CEO (formerly known as 1000+ Club)
The CEO (Cookie Entrepreneur Of>cers) is an elite
group of girls who know all about goal-setting and
follow through! Girls who sell 1000 or more
packages of cookies throughout the Cookie Program
qualify for this special group. The Girl Experience
Department holds regularly scheduled meetings.
These girls may be invited to attend cookie related
media events or have special guests at their
meetings.
Cookies cannot be returned to the
troop and you are 1nancially
responsible for the payment of all
cookies ordered or picked up on your
request.
Communication
Communication is critical between you and the troop
cookie manager (TCM) throughout the Cookie
Program You should be providing the TCM with a
weekly update on how many cookies you still have
and if you need additional cookies for customers.
Your TCM can pick up additional cookies from a
Cookie Cupboard after February 21. If you are having
dif>culty delivering cookies ordered by customers
or you have too many cookies in inventory, talk with
your troop cookie manager. She/he may be able to
help you if you let her/him know early in the season.
Another girl in the troop may be able to sell the
cookies you have. Your troop cookie manager can
then adjust how many each girl sold so that rewards
earned are accurate.
Goal—Setting
Success comes from hav-
ing goals. When a girl sets a
goal, she is more likely to
achieve it. Setting goals can help her have the best
Cookie Program ever!
Some girls will set their goal based on the reward
package or cookie dough level they want to earn.
You can help her set learning goals in addition to
package goals. Perhaps she would like to become
more comfortable talking to customers at a cookie
booth. She could practice her technique on family
members.
Talk with your troop cookie manager to >nd out what
the troop’s goal is and how your Girl Scouts’ goal will
help support the troop goal. Each year, the Council
sets a goal. This year’s goal is 185 packages per girl
selling.
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Using Social MediaUsing Social MediaUsing Social MediaUsing Social Media to promote your Cookie Program
Dos and Don’t
“Can Do” for all Girl Scouts:
• Use Smart Cookies email tools to Inform
friends, family, and former customers within
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council Zip codes
when they are selling cookies.
• Manage an online database of customers on
the Smart Cookies site. They can also create
their own database, as long as the privacy of
customers is respected.
“Cannot do” for Girl Scouts and their
parents/guardians:
• Girls cannot exchange money online for
cookies sold.
• Girls cannot accept commitments for
cookie sales from outside Girl Scouts of San
Jacinto Council’s zip codes, unless from
friends or family members.
• Girls cannot market on parent’s social net-
working site if they are under age 13. Parents
can, of course, state on their social
networking site “My daughter is selling Girl
Scout Cookies. Contact me if you are
interested” and act as the conduit for
interested friends and family.
• Girls and parents/guardians cannot advertise
cookies for sale on e-Bay, Craigslist or public
Buy and Sell sites.
Twitter – Send out “sweet” tweets on behalf
of your Girl Scout.
Here are a few suggestions:
• Help [insert troop#] lead the change in the world’s
largest girl-led business. Get your Girl Scout
Cookies!
• Please buy my daughter’s Girl Scout Cookies
before I eat them all!!
• Support a future business mogul. Buy some Girl
Scout Cookies! Our troop’s booth sale is [insert link
for details]
• Girl Scouts learn how to manage money, set goals
and make decisions. And you get to eat cookies
• Troop#____ is having a booth sale at ___________
on ________! Make some room in your trunk!
Can I Use Email or Social Network Sites?
Girls ages 13 and older can use social networking sites
such as Facebook as long as they have parental
permission and adult supervision to market their
sales. Parents of Girl Scouts under age 13 may use
their social networking sites for marketing their Girl
Scout’s sale. Each girl will have her own unique link to
her Smart Cookies site that can be shared directly on
Facebook or email making it easier for family and
friends through social sites.
Under no circumstances can girls or their parents/
guardians take money over the internet through PayPal
or other online payment sites or take orders through
sites such as eBay, Craigslist or public Buy and Sell
sites.
Online marketing and online order taking are available
through Smart Cookies, the baker’s secure website at
www.abcsmartcookies.com. Read the section on
Online Marketing for more information.
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Girl Rewards Girl Rewards Girl Rewards Girl Rewards and Promotions
The “Walkabout” weekend will be March 9-11, 2018.
Get those wagons out, dust them off, get them
decorated and hit the neighborhood. Add more fun
and include a buddy.
A Girl Scout(s) or Girl Scout troop walks the
neighborhood selling cookies door-to-door in a
residential area with adult supervision, visiting cookie
customers you may have missed in January or who
might need a restock on their favorites.
You may not hold your walkabout in shopping
centers, parks or other public areas. We want to
maintain good relationships with property managers
and stores. Setting up in a park or other public sites
are considered cookie booths and must be
coordinated through Council. This also includes
personal driveways, garage and yards.
Deadline to submit completed form and picture is
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
Cookie Share Patch Guidelines—Earn the 2018
Cookie Share Patch by selling 12 or more packages of
cookies through Virtual Cookie Share. Girls who sell
30 or more packages of cookies through Virtual
Cookie Share will earn a special First Responder
Patch. This year the Council’s Virtual Cookie Share
cookies will be donated to the First Responders who
helped during Hurricane Harvey in all of Girl Scouts
of San Jacinto’s 26 counties.
Check with your troop cookie manager for additional information associated with Virtual Cookie Share.
Early Reward—Girls who sell 168 or
more packages of cookies on their
initial order will receive this awesome
drawstring bag. Your troop cookie
manager will get this item with the
initial pick up of troop cookies. Look for it mid-
February.
Girls can choose between reward items or cookie
dough. Talk it over with your Girl Scout and let your
troop cookie manager know by mid-February.
Girls can earn individual girl rewards for participating
in the Cookie Program. For example, if a girl sells 200–
299 packages of cookies, she will receive the Mascot
Theme Patch, the 200+ Achievement Bar, the Travel
Zipper Organizers, the Tie Multi Elephant Bracelet, the
Stationery Set and the Elephant Plush. If a girl sells
300—399 packages, she receives the patch, the 300+
Achievement Bar, the Elephant Plush, the Magic
Sequin Patch, the Starry Room Light and the Elephant
Charm.
See the Girl Rewards insert in
the order card for a complete
listing of reward items.
Cookie Dough
Cookie dough is a gift card
sent directly to the Girl
Scout in early June. Cookie
dough can be used to
register for Girl Scout
activities, resident or day/
twilight camp or to purchase
items in the Girl Scout shop.
Pkgs. Amount
150 $15
200 $25
300 $35
400 $45
500 $60
650 $80
850 $100
1000 $150
1250 $175
1500 $200
2000+ $350
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Meet the Cookies!Meet the Cookies!Meet the Cookies!Meet the Cookies!
We have something for Everyone!
5 Chocolate varieties
5 cookies made with Vegan ingredients
4 Nut-Free Cookies
4 Eco-friendly Packaging
2 Peanut Butter Varieties
1 Shortbread traditional Cookie
1 Gluten Free Cookie (made with real chocolate &
peanut butter)
1 Fruit Eavored Variety
ABC purchases RSPO credits to cover
the palm oil used in the production of
our Girl Scout Cookies.
In 2010 ABC kicked off the “out of the box” initiative
for 4 packages, where we opted for cookie sleeves
instead of carboard boxes saving hundreds of tons
of cardboard and thousands of gallons of gas every
year.
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Three Ways to Sell Three Ways to Sell Three Ways to Sell Three Ways to Sell Girl Scout Cookies
Today’s girls are on the move and they will need
support with their sales efforts in a variety of ways.
How do girls sell today?
In Person
In addition to using the paper order card to collect
orders, girls can expand their customer base by using
the online marketing tools beginning January 6. Girls
can use the free app available on both the iPhone and
Android platform as a digital order card. Instead of
a paper order card, girls enter their order on their
smartphone or tablet and customers get an email
con>rmation of their order! Girl-delivery is still
necessary through ABC Smart Cookies Mobile.
Online
Girls can use the web to sell cookies. She can use
the online e-cards in ABC Smart Cookies to connect
to her customers. By sending the Smart Cookies
e-card to the customer, it allows the customer to
order online and have the packages of cookies
shipped directly to them by the girl.
Smart Cookies Direct –this is a direct to
consumer order process where the girl either sends
out an e-card through Smart Cookies or takes an
order using Smart Cookies Direct through the
mobile app. The customer orders, pays by credit
card and has the cookies direct shipped.
Cookie Booths—authorized booths can be set up
in front of businesses, homes and events. There
must be 2—4 girls present and 2 adults, one of
which must be a registered Girl Scout member
meeting all of the requirements of a Friends and
Family member and the other adult may be a
guardian of one of the girls present at the booth.
In Person
Online
Cookie
Booths
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What happened to COCO, COCOMobile and COCODirect? ABC has a new platform, ABC Smart Cookies, that does everything! Here’s a diagram that explains the changes for those families who are experienced with the previous platform:
New Logos Explained
New Logos
Registered Girl Scouts will receive an email December 19 with the link to login to abcsmartcookies.com
with their Girl Scout Username, password and information on how to set up their online account.
Online MarketingOnline MarketingOnline MarketingOnline Marketing What’s new?
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ABC Smart CookiesABC Smart CookiesABC Smart CookiesABC Smart Cookies An Introduction
Step 3—Explore the Platform!
Once you create a pro>le on Smart cookies, you can
do any of the following:
• Set cookie sales goals in packages.
• Take cookie orders
• Place and track customer orders for hand delivery
• Track progress toward your goals
• View your rewards and achievements
• Check out the Media tab on the Girl Dashboard:
1. More digital resources and Eyers
2. Training videos
3. Clip art to aid in making posters or thank you
cards for customers
• The Be a Cookie Boss has four links providing
ideas on:
1. Cookie Rookie—steps to make a successful sale
2. Build Your Skills—Building individual goas for a
successful sale
3. Making Selling Fun—ideas and activities to
motivate and encourage girls during the cookie
sale
4. Safety—safety tips to follow when selling
cookies
• Send Smart cookies Direct Ship e-cards to your
customer, with 2 options:
1. Ship cookies directly to your customers,
without having to worry about money collection
or hand delivery
2. Offer hand delivery to your customers
• Explore Smart cookies mobile and take your
cookie business on-the-go with you.
Optional—Download the Smart Cookies App
Download the Smart Cookies Mobile app available
from the App Store or Google Play and take Smart
Cookies on-the-go!
Girls can use the new Smart Cookies site to set their
cookie goal, manage their cookie sale, track their
progress, view rewards and send Smart Cookies
Direct Ship e-cards to customers. They can also
manage their sale on-the-go with Smart Cookies
Mobile.
Step 1—Receive registration email
The parent/guardian of registered Girl Scouts will re-
ceive an email from noreply@abcsmartcookies on
December 19. It will include the link to login to
abcsmartcookies.com to set up their online account.
Tip: To help prevent this email from going to your junk
folder, make it a trusted site now.
Step 2—Create an account!
Use the information in the registration email to create
an account in Smart Cookies. The Girl Scout can now
create her pro>le. Girls should always work with an
adult to set up their account.
Tip: Save the con>rmation email since it will contain
the girl’s username and password as well as the link
to ABC Smart Cookies.
Complete any open >elds and set the girl’s user name
and password. Both an on-screen and email
con>rmation will be sent. Now the Girl Scout is ready
to set up her cookie site.
Does the Girl Scout have a nickname her friends and
family know her by? She can add her nickname to that
>eld and when she sends out ecards, it will show her
nickname .
Enter the girl’s hoodie size. This information will be
used in ordering the hoodie reward when she reaches
that reward package level.
Click “Submit” to complete the process.
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ABC Smart CookiesABC Smart CookiesABC Smart CookiesABC Smart Cookies
For Added Flavor:
Girls can send e-cards to
customers to order Girl Scout
Cookies shipped directly and
also can offer hand delivery to
nearby customers.
ABC has added 3 new
distribution centers that offer
2-day shipping to most of the
U.S (the lower 48 states)
Customers can now order
any variety of Girl Scout
Cookies in whatever quantity
they want! No more 8 pack
variety or 6 or 12 of the same
variety.
Families with more than one Girl Scout
Families with two or more Girl Scouts will need to set
up an account for each girl. Each girl must have an
unique account. The accounts can be managed using
one email address.
Technical support
If you are having technical questions for Smart
Cookies email ABC at [email protected] or call
1.800.853.3730.
For cookie questions please view ABC’s Frequently
Asked Questions at https://abcbakers.com/faqs
or submit an inquiry at ABCbakers.com.