Initial Cookie Order

Initial Cookie Order

The Girl Scouts River Valleys Cookie Program is February 20-March 29, 2026.

Troops can choose to place an initial cookie order, which allows girls to have inventory in-hand for Cookie Go Day for in-person and booth sales. Troop initial orders are due January 23, 2026.

How to Place Your Initial Order

Use the Cookie Calculator to help determine your initial order.
Note: Using the cookie calculator is a recommendation only. Your troop should adjust your initial order as you see fit.

Connect with your troop to see what their goals are for this cookie season.

Log into Smart Cookies online and follow the steps below to complete your initial order.

Note: You can find this and additional step-by-step instructions for Smart Cookies by visiting our Smart Cookies Guide article.

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Placing an initial order ensures that your Girl Scouts have the cookies they need to get started on Cookie Go Day. For additional help on calculating your troops initial order, check out the Cookie Calculator, and remember to place your initial order by the designated due date.

Log into Smart Cookies, go to the Orders tab, and select Troop Initial Order.

Enter your quantities in CASES by variety.

Click Save.

Select your delivery station and time.

Click Save.

If your troop is assigned to a Mini Drop delivery, only one delivery station will appear for you.

Video instructions: Troop Initial Order with Gluten-Free

Initial Order Delivery

We call this first big delivery the initial order delivery and there are two types: mini drop and mega drop. Find out if your community/area has a mini or mega drop from your community/area product leader or view this year's Community/Area Initial Order Delivery Assignments (PDF).

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Mini Drops are primarily located in smaller communities. At these deliveries, all the cookies for the community/area are delivered to one location at one time. Your community/area product leader will confirm the date, time, and location and share it with you.

Mega Drops are located mostly in the Twin Cities metro and other larger communities. Individual troops sign up for a location and time during the initial order process. It’s like a drive-thru for cookies! You’ll move through a lane and stop at each cookie station. For troops that participate in a Mega Drop, you'll sign up for a day, time, and location in Smart Cookies.

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Whichever type of delivery your troop is assigned to, the troop cookie manager is responsible for:

Arranging for pickup of the initial order. Reference the Cases Per Vehicle Chart (PDF) to ensure you will have enough room in your vehicle.

Printing the order confirmation to bring to the delivery location to confirm totals.

Verifying the cookie totals by variety at both the delivery location and again before distributing to families.

Contacting Girl Scouts River Valleys within 24 hours of initial order pickup about any miscounts or damages.

Setting a day and time for families to pick up their inventory.

Issuing receipts to families of total cookies picked up, by variety of cookie.

How to Earn the Initial Order Reward

Troops that place an initial order will receive an exclusive patch for each Girl Scout selling. In order to earn these items, the troop must:

Place the initial order on time.

Enter the number of Girl Scouts selling into Smart Cookies by January 23, 2026. Note: If your troop doesn’t enter the number of girls selling, the default will be the number of Girl Scouts registered for the troop.

Community/Area Cookie Manager Initial Order Responsibilities

Remind troops about the initial order deadline. Initial orders by troops are due January 23. After this date, troops will be locked out of initial orders in Smart Cookies. As a community/area product leader, you have until January 24 to assist troops with their initial orders. If your community/area is participating in a Mega Drop delivery, it will be critical to check that all troops have selected a delivery station by running the Troops With No Specified Delivery Station report, and following up with them when they would like to pick up their order.