Popcorn prices out of control?

[CalicoPenn]

 

 

Sorry but this sounds like an excuse to me. I think this because the Girl Scouts are made up of volunteers as welll and they seem to be able to handle the massive distribution of cookie units to customers.

 

I see some others saying a bit more elegantly than I have that it's not about wanting to support the program, but that the prices are so high that it's turning some who would love to support the program away. Had the popcorn been $6.00 a unit, I probably would have bought two - but at $10.00 a unit, I bought none - it has nothing to do with supporting or not supporting the program, it's about climbing over a psychological barrier to buy a product at a higher price. There are lots of marketing and pricing studies out there that show the effects of our mind-set on purchasing things. That's one of the reasons gas prices are written the way they are - when you see $2.99 9/10 a gallon do you see it as $2.99 a gallon or $3.00 a gallon? The vast majority of people will tell you that they paid $2.99 per gallon even though they essentially paid $3.00 a gallon.

 

I'm not suggesting that popcorn sales be stopped, I'm suggesting that perhaps the BSA should look at the program, maybe hire an MBA/Marketing guru to revamp the program, lower the prices (which may get units excited about selling again - based on some comment here, my hunch is that many units that aren't selling made that choice not because of the quality of the product but because the pricing structure makes it too difficult to sell). I believe that the Scouts would start seeing more money come in to their coffers from popcorn sales with lower prices.

 

Calico

[Fuzzy Bear]

A high school football player showed up at my door asking for a donation. He didn't have overpriced product either. The team is successful and has a good turn-out with high priced tickets and they own the concession. I told him I didn't have any money left after buying Boy Scout popcorn. I later went to Wally World to buy a cheap knock off banana. It tasted pretty good but not as good as the BSA popcorn that I ate while watching the high school football game. I washed it all down with an expensive Big-Gulp. I think I have run out of answers. FB

[SR540Beaver]

Gern,

 

Simply charging the price of program and having mom and dad write a check is missing a main point of Scouting. A Scout is thrifty, he helps pay his own way. While we can debate the cost of popcorn, fundraisers are a way for a boy to learn to work and pay for himself and his boy run group independently of having his ATM/parents simply dispense more cash.

[Beagle Scout]

My understanding is that product mix and pricing is determined by the council. For example, the Inland Northwest Council offers an 11oz. tin of caramel corn with peanuts for $7. We sell plenty of these as well as the more expensive tins and boxes of microwave popcorn.

 

[DanKroh]

"Its not the price its the price point!!!"

 

I agree totally. And here's some evidence to support that.

 

Last year, the best selling item we had was the tin of caramel and peanuts, which in our Council, sells for $8. Aside from the "singles" that we sell for $1 each.

 

However, this year, they offered a microwave variety pack which consisted of 5 smaller boxes that contained 6 bags each. We broke the case apart and sold each of the smaller boxes for $6 each. Sold like crazy. Sold out of it, got some more from council, and sold out of them again, and this year still have tins of the caramel left, even though we ordered the same amount as last year.

 

The next price point on microwave is a box of 15 bags for $13. So even though it's the better deal per unit, people still bought the $6 for a 6 pack more.

[Beagle Scout]

Sorry, my earlier post should have said that the Inland Northwest Council offers the 11oz. tin of caramel corn with peanuts for $8 (not $7).

 

[GernBlansten]

A scout is thrifty. He helps pay his own way.

How does selling overpriced, substandard popcorn to subsidize a program that clearly is marketed below actual costs meet that law? Price the product (the program) at what it really costs. Give the scouts local opportunities to raise the cost of membership themselves.

From what I'm reading, the definition should really read:

A scout is thrifty. He helps pay for every scout who doesn't sell popcorn because council membership prices don't cover the costs involved in providing the scouting program.

[evmori]

A scout is thrifty. He helps pay for every scout who doesn't sell popcorn because council membership prices don't cover the costs involved in providing the scouting program.

 

Nah! Council can be supported in many other ways than popcorn sales.

 

A Scout is thrifty. He doesn't sell an overpriced product.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[yelruh]

Our troop did sales out side a WAWA (convience/gas store_ all this past weekend, opening popcorn weekend, Fri evening, Sat & Sunday during the day. The boys know it's only this first weekend, and we are suppose to be the only troop at this store. In the time my son, my spouse and I were there we sold nothing over $10.00. Why do they have the $40 & $50 tins? They have almost nothing in them, I looked, they weren't sealed.

 

One thing my 17 year old, 6 foot, 2 inch tall son doesn't have going for him is cute, another negative is he's quite shy. They ended up opening two containers so there were samples as a marketing comeon. One thing my son learned to say when someone demured about buying the popcorn, that they were asked about from his co-seller was "we also can accept cash donations." In the time he worked they took in twice as much in donations as sales, with some of it being just change.

[Jeffrey H]

Sorry but this sounds like an excuse to me. I think this because the Girl Scouts are made up of volunteers as welll and they seem to be able to handle the massive distribution of cookie units to customers.

The GS organization in the aggregate can handle massive distribution, but they are not going to sell their cookies at a few cents above cost.   

Wal-Mart is a poor comparison to argue for lower fundraiser prices.  The business model and purpose of Wal-Mart are entirely different than the purpose of a fundraiser.

Price point is always important, but I don't think $15 for a box of 15 bags of microwave popcorn is outrageous for a fundraiser.  Yes, it cost alot more than the grocery store, but it's a "fundraiser".  If the customer says no, go to the next. 

 

[packsaddle]

I hate popcorn, so I can't claim lack of bias here. However, I do recognize a deception in this, it has already been stated. The money is paid for popcorn, but what is being SOLD is scouting. There's something about that 'selling scouting' part that is disquieting, like scouting could be 'sold' out, or down the drain.

But the deception belongs to everyone involved. The idea that the prices are reasonable is obviously deceptive, hence this thread. The rationalization that a product can be overpriced because a large portion of the 'profit' goes to fundraising...(why not just take donations directly?) - deception. The idea that we are instilling good American values in the minds of boys: by telling them to take advantage of the good will of the public and neighbors and family (you can avoid feeling guilty by buying at least one item) by using the 'selling scouting' idea to collect more money for a product than it's worth...deception.

 

But after all that rant, the bottom line is: if you don't like the price, don't buy it. If you want to support scouting, make a direct charitable donation. If you want to support your unit, volunteer. Or make an earmarked donation to the CO.

 

I hate popcorn. I used to love it, ate it all the time, and then I was popcorn chair for years and it made my entire house smell bad. I changed.

So I don't buy it anymore. I volunteer. And when the guilt-trip thing is used on me during the popcorn sale, neighbor kids taking advantage of my friendship to leverage the sale of overpriced popcorn that I hate, I politely refuse...and then feel guilty about it. Thanks to scouting.

[smurray]

Hi All!

I am a new Den Leader for a Tiger Cub Den in Cincinnati. I have been supporting the BSA Popcorn sale, at my work, for the past 6 years an have been where you are at. I have one thing to shed light on and then I will shut up.

The prices are high on the surface but what you do not realize is the sale is broken down like this: (35% goes to the local Council, 35% goes to the boys Pack, and a mere 30% goes back into the popcorn Organization_Trails-End). Now if you talk about any other fundraisers out there that is an awesome return to benefit the Organization that is shaping these boys into outstanding leaders of their communities (even at this young age they can make a difference in the people they meet).

Now, if you look at the return on GS cookies they get about a 5% return on each box of cookies (that could be on the high side). I think the math is obvious here so it needs no further scrutiny.

I also want to point out that if you support a festival or Church fundraising we, as a society, think nothing of blowing $40, $50, or more without batting an eye. So, your opinion is well recieved and my response to you is: Either buy or don't but, donate or don't donate but at least your decision will be based on a higher awareness of why the prices are appearing to be too high.

I have found that when I explain the break down to people they will buy because they know how the money is broken down and that the vast majority is going into a fantastic program for our Community (and isn't it time that values are brought back to the srface these days?).

Thank You for your time!

A DEN DAD

[ScoutMomAng]

I also complained about the price of a tube of Pringles at the Jamboree. $5.00 at the Jamo. $1.29 at home.

 

Eamonn!!! Try your local Wal~Mart...they are 88 CENTS for a full size can!

 

Now on to the PC issue. If you think about what the boys get from selling that $10.00 tin of popcorn it may not seem like much at all. However, this is not always your ordinary popcorn. Yeah sure they sell the unpopped popcorn and the microwave popcorn, however, I KNOW for a fact that the Trails End Popcorn is so scrumtously delicious!!! You can't buy that in the store. Oh yeah! You can buy something similar but it is not nearly as good as the popcorn the boys sell.

 

At my workplace, somebody purchased one of the $15.00 tins of chocolate covered caramel popcorn and put it on the breakroom table. This tin of popcorn was GONE in 2 hours! Everybody loved it. This Chocolate popcorn can not be bought in the store unless you go to a "gourmet" popcorn store and you know what...it's going to be about the same price and NONE of your money went to help out some local orginization that gives back to your community all the time!!!

 

I will continue to be a proud supporter of BSA popcorn as well as the overpriced GSUSA cookies. However, some bakers are better than others and some popcorn makers are better than others. If each orginization could get the better of the two companies that make their product to be the sole maker of their product I think they would do much better.

 

Popcorn is not hard to sell. Yes, a boy can get turned down an awful lot, but in one night, the night before the forms had to be turned in, my son started out with one lonely order. Mine! For $50.00. He added, in two hours, $700.00 to that to turn out to be the top salesman in his pack of 12 boys. And he is not a very outgoing boy. People did it because they knew they were supporting scouting!

 

I'm done on my popcorn soap box!

 

YIS

 

Angela

[ScoutMomAng]

Quote by Calico: Think Wal-Mart. They sell known brand names of all kinds of items for less than a local store, or even other national chains, yet they make a lot of money. Why? Because they sell more of it. Why do they sell more of it? Because their prices are lower.

 

But WHY are their prices lower??? Because they can afford it because they can buy MUCH bigger quantities and get better discounts from the makers. Do you have ANY idea how many WalMarts there are in the US alone? Did you know they are a WORLDWIDE company?? Their are WAY more Wal~Marts in the United States than there are Boys selling BSA popcorn.

 

By the way, WalMart also sells cookies that are VERY similar to GSUSA cookies all year long and they are only about 97 cents a box for a lot more. And yes, some of those GSUSA cookies are only 12 to a box. Samoas only contain 12. Peanut Butter Patties (or Tagalongs) only contain 12.

[packsaddle]

This discussion has indeed been useful. Combined with the fact that I just discovered another big cache of GS cookies hidden in a closet, I am now beginning not to like them either. Thanks.