
Initial Orders. Troops will pick up initial order cookies at Initial Pick Ups. These pickup locations are reserved by the Service Unit Cookie Chair and are where all the Service Unit cookies will be delivered at the same time! Your Service Unit Cookie Chair will let you know the date, time, and location of your Initial Pick Up.
Cookie Cupboards. Cookie Cupboards open February 8. Cupboards are a resource for troops to restock on inventory when their initial cookie orders run out. Before heading out to a cupboard, make sure to place a Planned Order in Smart Cookies ahead of time.
From Other Troops. Transferring cookies between troops is another way to manage troop inventory. Troops with an excess of one or multiple varieties can transfer to troops who need more.
The Initial Order Period happens January 3–19. This is the time when girls can go around with order cards—collecting orders from customers, but not collecting money. Initial Orders are due from girls to the Troop Cookie Chair on January 17 and troop Initial Orders are due to Service Unit Cookie Chairs on January 19.
Troops place Initial Orders to receive cookies as soon as the Direct Sale Period starts. Here are some benefits to placing Initial Orders:
Part of your troop's Initial Order will be the cookies girls have sold with their order cards during the month of January. Troops can also order additional cookies for booth sales on the initial order—using the booth cookies line. Do not order extra booth cookies as a girl order.
Follow the steps below to place your troop’s initial order under the Orders tab:
Smart Cookies will automatically round each variety up to the nearest full case after initial orders and extras are entered. The troop is responsible for selling these extra packages.
Prefer a video? Follow along with this Initial Order by Girl tutorial from ABC Bakers.
You’re heading into the Direct Sale Period. Great! Now, how do you know which cookies to offer to customers and how many 'Booth Packages' to order? When ordering cookies, there are a few things to consider!
This year we have created a Cookie Calculator to help when forecasting for your troops initial order! Once you click on the link, you will enter in your troops per girl average from the 2024 Cookie Season, how many girls you have selling for 2025, and the percentage of your troops goal you would like to order on the initial order. Once all the information is input, it will calculate what you should order by case and/or packages by variety for your troop. If you are a new troop, we have added the per girl averages for each troop level for you to use.
Once initial orders are in, it’s time to plan for the arrival of cookies. If you haven’t yet seen a cookie delivery, it’s quite a sight! Many semi-trucks deliver over 60,000 cases of cookies to our Cookie Cupboards and Initial Pick Up sites, and there’s a great deal of excitement and Girl Scout sisterhood. Your Service Unit Cookie Chair will give you instructions on the process, date, and time for attending Initial Pick Up and picking up your troops initial order cookies. Be sure to print your Initial Order confirmation to bring to the pick up to confirm totals. While there, the Service Unit Cookie Chair will receive and confirm the product first. Then, work together to verify totals by cookie variety for your troop—count each case by variety with the Service Unit Cookie Chair or designated volunteer before signing for the product and leaving the location.
Next, as a Troop Cookie Chair you:
What's the right mix? On average, this is what Cookie Sales look like in Missouri Heartland.
*Gluten-Free Caramel Chocolate Chip are in limited supply. This year there is no limit on troop initial orders, while supplies last. GSMH has the authority to edit Gluten Free cases based on supply. If supply remains after initial order, Gluten Free are first-come, first-served at Cookie Cupboards.
To help plan for a cookie booth, use this Cookie Booth Order Calculator for an estimate of what to order. Requires Microsoft Excel.
Note: Troops are responsible for deciding the quantity of cookies that they order.
Throughout the Direct Sales Period, cookies should be transferred to girls after every booth and sales activity. At the end of the Direct Sales Period, you must transfer all cookies to girls.
Under the Orders tab, to transfer cookies to girls:
Prefer a video? Follow along with this Troop to Girl Transfer tutorial from ABC Bakers.
Throughout the Direct Sales Period, cookies should be transferred to girls after every booth and sales activity. By March 30, you must transfer all cookies to girls.
Managing inventory accurately is paramount to a successful Cookie Program.
Troops are responsible for tracking their troop inventory by variety on a weekly basis. Doing this will help you find any discrepancies and give you time to fix them before the end of the program! Entering troop to girl transfers on a weekly basis also makes it easier to identify where the discrepancy might be and allows you the chance to correct the error sooner than later. This makes your season wrap up go much smoother!
When tracking your troop inventory weekly, keep these guidelines in mind:
To find any discrepancies in your troop inventory, follow these steps:
If there are discrepancies, go through each receipt from that week and verify the numbers were entered correctly in Smart Cookies. To correct errors, follow the steps below.
To correct any errors in Smart Cookies, follow these steps:
After you have received your initial cookie order, your troop may need more cookies to fill additional girl orders or for Cookie Booth sales. Cookie Cupboards are where you can pick up additional cookies and replace damaged product with the same variety. Cookie Cupboards are located throughout GSMH and are hosted by both staff and volunteers. All Cookie Cupboards are open to all troops and operate similarly, but hours will vary. All cupboards accept orders through our Planned Order process.
Some Cookie Cupboards may close before the end of the Direct Sales Period based on the flow of product coming out of the cupboard. If a cupboard closes before the end of the Direct Sales Period, this will be communicated with the volunteers via email.
Our 2025 Cookie Cupboard locations have been finalized! Check out our 2025 Cookie Cupboard Locations flyer to find a cupboard near you.
To order cookies from a Cookie Cupboard, troops will place a Planned Order in Smart Cookies! A Planned Order allows a troop to schedule a cookie pick-up on a designated day from any Cookie Cupboard. It also allows time for the Cookie Cupboard to guarantee the proper cookie inventory to fill the order.
How do Planned Orders work? Cookie Cupboard locations are uploaded into Smart Cookies—and acts as our inventory management system (just like it does for troop inventory). Planned Orders are submitted through Smart Cookies for pickup at any of these locations. Planned Orders can be placed daily and must be submitted by 1 p.m. each day for pickup the following day.
For example, orders placed by 1 p.m. on Monday are eligible for pick up Tuesday, as long as there are pickup times available. An order placed at 3 p.m. on Monday would be eligible for pickup beginning Wednesday, as long as there are pickup times available.
To schedule a Planned Order in Smart Cookies:
The receipt confirmation will state “Not Approved.” This only indicates that your order has not yet been picked up. Once you have picked up your order, it will become a Cupboard to Troop Transfer and show ‘“Approved” on the receipt.
Under the Orders tab, you can select 'Manage Orders' to review your order—you have until 1 p.m. the day before your scheduled pick up to make edits to your order. If edits need to be made after the deadline, please reach out directly to the Cookie Cupboard. Phone numbers can be found in Smart Cookies. Once picked up, Planned Orders will immediately appear on your Troop Balance Summary and will be calculated for the next electronic withdrawal.
Prefer a video? Follow along with this Planned Order tutorial from ABC Bakers.
What are the benefits to Planned Orders?
Cookies+ Team has the ability to see each cupboard's inventory at any given moment. This helps us know when, where, and how many cookies are needed at cupboards—decreasing the likelihood of cookie shortages. Our goal is to always have cookies available when and where our girls are selling.
Who can pick up the Planned Order for my troop?
As with all cookies, the Troop Cookie Chair is the only person allowed to pick up the cookies unless prior permission for someone else is provided. To do that, provide that information in the 'Order Notes' while placing a Planned Order.
What if I don’t see a lot of time slots?
Time slots are available first-come, first-serve. Cupboard time slots are in 30-minute increments. As the maximum number of pickups allowed during a slot is reached, that time will fall off the list of available options.
What if I want to edit my order? How?
Under the Orders tab, you can select “Manage Orders” to review your order—you have until 1 p.m. the day before your scheduled pick up to make edits to your order. Once picked up, Planned Orders will immediately appear on your Troop Balance Summary and will be calculated for the next electronic withdrawal.
Do I need to calculate Planned Orders differently for the electronic withdrawal?
No. Once picked up, all Planned Orders will immediately appear on your Troop Balance Summary and will be calculated for the next electronic withdrawal.
What if I'm running late or no longer able to pick up my planned order?
Notify the cupboard as soon as possible. Depending on the cupboard schedule, they should be able to work with you on a new time. If the cupboard is unable to work in the changes, they will cancel the planned order and you will need to schedule a new pick up in Smart Cookies.
Can I add cookies to my order when I arrive to pick up my order?
Yes—as long as cookies are available and not being held to fulfill other planned orders that day.
What if I run out of cookies and I need more fast?
If you run out of cookies at a booth and need more but it's past the deadline to submit a planned order, you can contact the cupboard during their cupboard hours to request a urgent pick up. If the cupboard has the cookies you need, they will schedule an available time for you to pick up. Note: These urgent pick ups are only used forwhen troops run out of cookies at a cookie booth, not due to lack of planning ahead.
It’s important to have a plan of how many cookies your troop will need to achieve your goals. Read below for some tips to help you manage your inventory from the beginning of the season to the end.
Project your Initial Order. Review each girls initial order demand and work as a troop to decide how many booths your girls would like to secure and work with your troop on setting a goal for each girl to earn an Initial Order reward.
Cookie Booth Participation. When hosting a Cookie Booth, it is important to keep track of your inventory and finances. Consider the following:
It's in the Details! Staying on top of the details makes managing inventory easier.
New this year, Extended Sales Period has been replaced with a grace period to sell all leftover inventory. The 2025 Cookie Program ends March 30—at this point, all cookies should be transferred to girls in Smart Cookies. However, if your troop has remaining physical, on-hand inventory the troop has until May 31 to sell to customers. You may not discount the cookies. Please continue to follow all safety and sales guidelines during this period. Accepting credit cards via the mobile app will not be available after March 30.
If troops are unable to sell their remaining inventory by May 31, they can contact local organizations such as first responders, churches, and more to donate these cookies. Troops can also choose to use the remaining cookies for snacks during troop meetings and/or troop activities throughout the summer!