Nothing is permanent except, of course, for change. And sadly, this is the case for one super popular — and chaotic — Girl Scout Cookie rollout.
The Girl Scouts of the USA confirmed to TODAY.com that it will no longer be offering its Raspberry Rally cookies. So, for this coming Girl Scout cookie season, which takes place across the country from January through April, you’ll have to subsist on its regular roster of Thin Mints, Samoas, Do-si-Dos and more.
“Last year, Raspberry Rally cookies were introduced as part of a pilot online-only sales strategy,” a Girl Scouts spokesperson tells TODAY.com. “This was a fun and new way to teach girls omnichannel business skills and expand our cookie portfolio by introducing an exciting new flavor profile to the Girl Scout Cookie Program.
“While Raspberry Rally was extremely popular last year, we are taking a pause this season to prioritize supplying our classic varieties.”
Back in August 2022, Raspberry Rally was first announced, nearly four months before cookie season 2023 arrived. I had a chance to sample the flavor ahead of its debut, and I gave it a thumbs up. As did TODAY co-hosts Al Roker, Shenielle Jones and Dylan Dreyer. And apparently we weren’t the only people who thought that, because the cookies quickly sold out.
In March, after the Raspberry Rally became the first cookie to be exclusively sold online and promptly sold out, an unauthorized reseller market opened up on eBay, with prices ranging from $15 to $180 for 10 packages of cookies, much to the perturbation of the Girl Scouts.
In a statement provided to TODAY.com at the time, the Girl Scouts expressed their “disappointment” in the “unauthorized resales” of their products, and stressed that it deprives the youth organization of its proceeds.
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“If you’re buying these cookies at a huge markup, you could and should instead be using that money to support girls by buying other varieties or supporting the program in other ways,” said the Girl Scouts.
For eBay’s part, a spokesperson noted that the sale of the cookies on its website doesn’t violate its policies.
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“eBay’s purpose is to connect people and build communities to create economic opportunity for all,” the spokesperson stated at the time. “We strongly support the entrepreneurial spirit of hardworking local Girl Scout troops and encourage cookie-seekers to also support their local Girl Scouts, however the sale of Girl Scout cookies does not violate eBay policies.”
To this day, you can still find listings on eBay for Raspberry Rally boxes. The priciest of these listings found at the time of publication was $200 for one box.
This isn’t the only recent Girl Scout news that will undoubtedly disappoint the Cookie Monsters among us. Girl Scout Cookie prices are set to rise this coming season. Chapters in New York and Boston have already sent out messages to their localities noting that boxes of the popular treats have risen from $5 to $6 due to inflation.
“Each of our 111 Girl Scout councils sets local Girl Scout Cookie prices based on several factors,” a Girl Scouts spokesperson told TODAY.com on Oct. 2. “In some instances, councils are faced with the tough decision to raise the prices, though prices have remained steady in many areas for a number of years. When you purchase Girl Scout Cookies you are getting more than a sweet treat, all the proceeds stay local to help power amazing experiences for Girl Scouts in your community.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
