Cookie Booth Essentials

If your troop is planning in-person cookie sales events, there are lots of ways girls can creatively rise to the occasion! Whether they run a traditional, drive-thru or pop-up booth, girls will have fun making signs — and gain valuable experience managing money and talking to customers.

COOKIE BOOTH ESSENTIALS

Any cookie booths listed in eBudde are linked to the Cookie Finder App. Customers can see when and where booth sales will be. If you cannot attend a booth, please be sure to update eBudde or contact your service unit cookie manager to find a replacement.

Cookie booths are the perfect place for girls to leverage their cookie smarts and unleash their entrepreneurial spirit. But along with that excitement comes some important responsibilities.

BOOTH REQUIREMENTS

⚬ All booth sales must take place in a designated, council-approved area. Troops may contact businesses in their service unit to obtain permission to hold Girl Scout Cookie booths. Please use the “My Sales” feature of the booth sale tab to inform the council of your troop scheduled sales. The Service Unit Product Manager approves booth sale locations. Booth sales should be approved as long as they are within the service unit lines and not adult locations.

⚬ Booths should not be held at adult-only locations that require 18+ age for entrance. Volunteers who drink or smoke at booths are subject to dismissal.

⚬ All booth sales are guided by Volunteer Essentials adult and girl ratios. Every booth sale must have at minimum one registered adult and another unrelated adult present at all times. We recommend no more than 5 girls attend a booth sale at a time. Girls can use the buddy system for bathroom breaks.

⚬ While at a cookie booth, make sure girls wear their uniforms, other Girl Scout–branded clothing, or their membership pin to clearly identify themselves as Girl Scouts. It’s a great way to show your Girl Scout pride! Booths should not block a store entrance or exit.

⚬ Make sure there is adequate space for a table for the cookies to be on display, and the participating girls. Ensure that pedestrians, bikes and cars can safely pass by.

TIPS FOR SAFEGUARDING COOKIE MONEY

⚬ After receiving cash and making change, girls should hand the money to a volunteer for safekeeping and to deposit into the cash box as soon as possible.

⚬ Keep the cash box in a safe place or behind a barrier of cookie boxes.

⚬ Don’t walk around with large amounts of money.

⚬ Bank cookie money often and do not keep money at home or at school.

⚬ Reduce cash transactions by offering credit card payment options whenever possible.

⚬ Always have a first-aid kit available at the booth.

Cookie Booth Kit

⚬ One to two card tables

⚬ One Girl Scouts tablecloth per table

⚬ Handmade signs promoting the cookie booth, stating the price of the cookies and advertising Girl Scouts Give Back

⚬ A plastic file folder box with a hinged lid that snaps securely and a handle on the top

⚬ A plexiglass sign holder

⚬ Pens and a calculator

⚬ A receipt pad

Count the money at the end of the booth sale and replenish the booth box as necessary (including the starting change in the money bag). The cookie volunteer who takes the money away from the sale should be registered as an adult volunteer with Girl Scouts. ⚬ Membership brochures

⚬ Tape for hanging signs

⚬ An extra sash or vest, if you have one, for girls who forget

⚬ Blank paper to write down leads, etc.

⚬ Pocketed aprons for adults and older girls who take money and give change

⚬ A heavy-duty, zippered money bag or cash box

⚬ Counterfeit pen

PRO TIP: It is very difficult to have booths without chocolate varieties. Typically non-chocolate varieties are purchased with chocolate varieties. Focus on upselling non-chocolates at booth sales.

BUSY BOOTH

(over 45 boxes per hour) Adventurefuls: 2 cases Thin Mints: 8 cases Samoas: 8 cases Tagalongs: 4 cases Do-Si-Dos: 2 cases Trefoils: 2 cases Lemon-Ups: 1 case S’mores: 1 case Toffee: 1 case

MEDIUM BOOTH

(30-45 boxes per hour) Adventurefuls: 1 case Thin Mints: 6 cases Samoas: 6 cases Tagalongs: 4 cases Do-Si-Dos: 2 cases Trefoils: 1 cases Lemon-Ups: 1 case S’mores: 1 case Toffee: 1 case

SLOW BOOTH

(under 30 boxes per hour) Adventurefuls: 1 case Thin Mints: 4 cases Samoas: 4 cases Tagalongs: 2 cases Do-Si-Dos: 1 cases Trefoils: 1 cases Lemon-Ups: 1 case S’mores: 1 case Toffee: 1 case