The recent surge in generic brand sales naturally would lead to conflict with established, name brands -- but who knew the first shot would be fired at the Girl Scouts?
C.V. Harquail, a former "Cookie Mom" and current blogger, was dismayed to see that Wal-Mart was beta-testing mint-chocolate and peanut-butter-chocolate cookies at the recent BlogHer Conference in Chicago. She worried that Wal-Mart was going to enter into direct competition with the Girl Scouts, threatening the organization's ability to raise money. She leads off her post on Authentic Organizations with a strongly worded accusation:
"Just when you think your opinion about Walmart might be changing ...just when you think that maybe, just maybe, Walmart was learning to be
a better citizen ... Walmart turns around and does something really
despicable. It's not discriminating against
women, strong-arming suppliers, polluting neighborhoods or racing to
the bottom of the China Price. No, this time, it's closer to home, and
in my case, really close to home. This time ... Walmart is knocking off
the Girl Scouts."
Advertising Age picks up her blog post and reaches out to the Girl Scouts of the USA, who just want people to know that when they buy cookies, they're helping little girls.
Harquail
doesn't offer a perfect argument. To some degree, it's like saying that
Wal-Mart competes with your neighborhood lemonade stand. When in
reality, the ingredients in the lemonade you just bought from that 8-year-old probably came from Wal-Mart. So by selling cheap sugar
and lemonade mix, Wal-Mart is actually making that lemonade stand
possible.
As long as Wal-Mart isn't going
door-to-door in their blue vests, the mega-retailer is not a direct
competitor with the Girl Scouts -- just a cheaper iteration that may
end up reminding people that they want to buy Thin Mints from somebody
passing an order form around the office.
[Image via Flickr: Jessie Michael Nix]
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Girl Scout Thin Mints are the second best selling cookie in the country after Oreo, so I don't think we really have to worry about the Wal-Mart Version, especially because Girl Scouts has the name brand. Anyway, where I work as a girl scout leader (KS/MO) cookies are 3.50, and the girls get .55 I realize that this is still not a good ratio, but our girls still do very well, and we're inner-city located.
How silly. Lance has made a chocolate-mint cookie that tastes EXACTLY like the old, white-inside Thin Mints (yes, they used to be white) for years. And what do you call Keebler Grasshoppers, fer criminysake?
THIS is the kind of thing that makes us on the left look like whiners. The crazy-bitch blogging moms (my new favorite phrase - thanks, meesha.v) hate everything.
"Wal-mart is'nt the only one that sells genric version of the cookies there are many others General Dollar, keebler and so on why just pick on wal-mart when there was others befor wal-mart there are other genric things license to sell girl scout cookies in the store then sell limited editions the girls sell that are only out when the girls sale if you cant beat them join them ."
::head spinning::
Come again?
Jonathan, this post is bringing out some very interesting commenters, man. Well done! I like buying the Girl Scout cookies from my Girl Scout neighbors, and will continue to do so. It's a rare treat for me to even eat a thin mint (contrary to what my waist size might lead people to believe!), so buying them once a year when they're offered is the way I prefer to keep it. I don't find anything necessarily wrong with what Walmart is doing...they're popular cookies. Why not capitalize on that fact? I just will not be one of the people buying them from there, is all.
Wal-mart is'nt the only one that sells genric version of the cookies there are many others General Dollar, keebler and so on why just pick on wal-mart when there was others befor wal-mart there are other genric things license to sell girl scout cookies in the store then sell limited editions the girls sell that are only out when the girls sale if you cant beat them join them . If we picked on all the companys that made genric version we would be here forever. when people like the origanals you will have them for life. example for me i love Miracle Whip i tried the genric versions and no one stands up to the original so i buy Miracle Whip no matter how much it cost because its better.
um what exactly made Harquail think walmart was trying to be a better "citizen?" that's the problem with the internet, it lets any idiot with a keyboard spew their stupidity to the masses where otherwise would be confined to AA meetings or a good ol' fashioned barn raisin'
I remember when GS cookies were $2.50. Being a former GS I didn't mind paying that price. At the time it was cheaper than a lot of store bought cookies. Then over time the cookies rose to the price of $4.00. That's getting up there.
It's true that there are already cookies out there that mimic GS cookies for less. I believe that whoever wants to support the GS will continue to do so. Even if I give in to my cravings and buy the mimic cookies, that's not going to stop me from buying GS cookies when offered. I would still like to support the GS with or without cookies.
If the GS did't patent their cookies favors, everyone can make and sell the same type of cookies. This is a classic example of how some moms are totally out of sync of the business world. Pathetic.
Maybe if the Girl Scouts would sell them year-round at a reasonable price, Wal-Mart wouldn't be stepping in to fill a gap in the market.
Exactly you don't have to buy them! Just because walmart is selling them does not mean you have to buy them! People like this are pathetic!
I am a GS leader of two daughters. The cookies are not a rip off. You do not have to buy them if you don't want to.
I am not 'derenged and upset that my brat's box count might be down' or a 'crazy-bitch blogging mom'. We sell cookies to pay for trips, uniforms, books and community service projects. To think that Wal Mart wants a piece of that is ridiculous. I appreciate that it was made public because a lot of people had no idea.
You're right. I should have followed NPR's lead and gone with the death of Britain's largest carp [http://www.npr.org/templates/s...].
Get serious,
Can you not find something more important to b&tch about? � In case you are to stupid to notice � The G.S. cookies are not in competition with anybody � if they were they would have stopped selling the cookies a long, long time ago. Seriously � what is the price per cookie of the G.S. cookies?
Purchase of G.S. cookies are donations � nobody in their right mind can try to dis Wal-mart, K-mart, Target or anyone else for selling cookies that are similar to G.S. cookies. I have seen various brands for years � that have similar tastes to G.S. cookies.
I don�t even know how this qualifies as news? � How much free time do you people have? � I mean � if you are that freaking bored � that some deranged mom � complaining that her little brats� box count might be down this year�..qualifies as news to you � then you need to find a different job�..something that actually adds value to something would be preferred.
girl-scout cookies are a rip-off especially for the poor girls themselves. selling crap is one of the main reasons my kid never joined any of those activities. dealing with crazy-bitch blogging moms was another.I also send to school all the other fundraising trash they send my way.
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