New snack bars offered with cookies in three markets

Jan. 10, 2013, 12:17 p.m.

Little Brownie Bakers announced today that it is appealing to a new generation of on-the-go customers by offering two flavors of Girl Scout Cookie-inspired snack bars in three test markets. Girl Scouts will sell the snack bars along with Girl Scout Cookies. In partnership with Girl Scouts of the USA, Little Brownie is exploring the viability of Girl Scout Snack Bars as an additional product in a new format that fits the snacking preferences of today’s consumers.

Girl Scout Snack Bars are packed with wholesome ingredients like hearty rolled oats, crispy cereal and chewy granola. They have a smooth chocolaty dip along the bottom and a drizzle across the top. Tagalongs® Snack Bars contain peanut-butter chips. Double Dutch™ Snack Bars feature dark-chocolate goodness. Girl Scout Snack Bars have 4g of protein, 4g of fiber and 110 calories.

Preliminary research suggests consumers are interested in Girl Scout Snack Bars that offer convenience and portability for their on-the-go lifestyles. Snack bars are the most popular snack food of the decade¹, and granola bars are forecasted to be the fastest-growing snack category in coming years². Granola bars are the only snack product that satisfies both reasons for snacking: indulgence and hunger³.

Along with Girl Scouts, Little Brownie Bakers remains totally committed to growing the sale of Girl Scout Cookies. The snack bar product is intended to bring incremental increases to the organization’s cookie sale by appealing to a more diverse group of customers. It may also offer alternative pathways to participation in Girl Scout activities.

The market test for snack bars is being conducted in three ways: 1) In some councils, snack bars are being sold as a stand-alone product offering at a time when cookies are not being sold.  2) In other councils, snack bars are being offered along with Girl Scout Cookies.  3) A formal national research study is being conducted by the baker.

The following Girl Scout councils are now selling cookies and bars:

• Girl Scouts of Chesapeake Bay Council
• Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois Council
• Girl Scouts of Western Ohio Council

The following Girl Scouts councils participated in the pilot test during the fall 2012 product sale:

• Girl Scouts of Caribe Council (cookies + bars)
• Girl Scouts of Oregon & Southwest Washington Council (bars only)
• Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council (bars only)
• Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona Council (bars only)
• Girl Scouts of West Central Florida Council (bars only)
• Girl Scouts of Western Washington Council (bars only)

Little Brownie Bakers is one of two bakers licensed by Girl Scouts of the USA and has been baking Girl Scout Cookies since 1973. Little Brownie Bakers’ mission is to provide cookies and support services of the highest quality to Girl Scout councils to help teach girls a wide range of life skills and generate income for Girl Scout troops and councils via the annual Cookie Program. Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

Sources:

¹ The NPD Group’s National Eating Trends® In Home/Away From Home Service 2011
² Euromonitor – US Snack Bar Category, August 2011
³ SymphonyIRI Group - State of the Snack Industry – SNAXPO 2012