NEW YORK — You’re going to need a fatter wad of cash to get your Thin Mints this year.
Girl scout troops in several areas of the U.S. are set to hike the price of a box of cookies to $5 from $4, up 25%.
Troops in eastern Massachusetts plan to raise their cookie prices for the first time in eight years when sales begin on December 11.
Two California Girl Scout councils in San Gorgonio and Central Coast will also charge $5 this year.
The $5 price tag will boost profits for the Girl Scouts to $0.90 per box, up from a $0.62 when the boxes were $4, according to Patricia Parcellin, President of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts
Parcellin doesn’t expect to see a drop in demand because of the price hike. “I believe that people who buy girl scouts cookies are supporting girls because they believe in girls learning these essential skills,” she said.
When Parcellin consulted councils in California, Nevada and Hawaii that charged $5 a box in the last cookie season, they said their sales weren’t adversely affected.
The Girl Scout councils cited the higher cost of ingredients, transportation and storage as the primary drivers of the price hike.
The San Gorgonio council said it’s held off raising prices due to the sluggish economy. “Now is the right time to make the move to $5 a box,” it said on its website.
The Girl Scouts of America are made up of 112 local councils, each of which sets its own price for a box of cookies.
