Last week, some people in my business class were talking about how grocery stores have designed their layouts so shoppers will be more likely to buy extra food. A lot of times, people will come in for basics like milk, butter and eggs, so where are they in the store? Tucked in the back corner. You have to walk past lots of different foods before getting to those basics, during which time you might think, “You know, cookies sound awesome right now.” Impulse purchase! Grocery store: 1, You: 0.
Then I thought about how Girl Scouts started selling their cookies this year. Where once parents would post order sheets in the office to suggest that their coworkers aren’t satisfying their sweet teeth properly, the Girl Scouts have become more devious: they’re bringing cookies to your door. You still have to order some of the specialty items, but if you want Do-si-dos, Tagalongs or Thin Mints…
Gimme a second to wipe the drool off my keyboard.
If you want any of those basic cookies, you’ve got ’em right there. You don’t need any order forms; you need young girls with delicious goodies… I don’t think I phrased that very well.
One mother gave us a heads-up a few days early, then she and her daughter came to the house—we picked boxes of cookies while they were standing in front of us instead of using an order sheet. At the office, it was easy to limit yourself to two or three boxes, but not anymore! “You know, cookies sound awesome right now.” Impulse purchase! Girl Scouts: 1, You: … lots of cookies, so maybe you’re a winner, too.
And as a final note, someone asked after buying 10 boxes if we made a good selection. I said it didn’t really matter since they’ll be gone in a week. It’s now Day 4 and I’m pretty sure my prediction will be right. That’s really not a good thing, but at least it’s been a yummy not-good thing.
