It’s high season for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, who are hawking their famous cookies at schools, on street corners, and even at T stations.
But these days, much of the cookie business is done online. And that’s where one treat is so popular, it sold out.
No, it’s not your beloved Thin Mints or Peanut Butter Patties. It’s the ... Raspberry Rally?
Thin and chocolatey with a raspberry center, the Raspberry Rally is the newest cookie to hit the market for the annual Girl Scout cookie sale, which lasts in Eastern Massachusetts through mid-March.
But unlike the Caramel deLights, Lemonades, and traditional shortbread Trefoils, the Raspberry Rally is sold exclusively online — an initiative meant to help Girl Scouts hone their entrepreneurship and e-commerce skills.
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Early last week, ABC Bakers, which makes the cookies for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, informed the Girl Scouts that they’d oversold the Raspberry Rally, and that many recent orders had to be canceled and refunded, according to a message obtained by the Globe sent out to troop leaders from around the region. ABC Bakers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Due to the overwhelming popularity of the new Raspberry Rally cookie, our inventory sold out prior to your order being processed,” an e-mail sent to affected customers said.
Meanwhile, the cookies, which go for $5 a box, are being listed on eBay for up to 12 times their value. The cookie also became a top search term on Google in Massachusetts, Maine, and Connecticut.
(Thin Mints hold down the top search for Vermonters. Adventurefuls — a brownie-inspired cookie — were the most searched Girl Scout cookie in New Hampshire.)
Local Girl Scout troops first received notice of the sold-out cookie on Feb. 24, according to Stacy Wilbur, senior director of external relations for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. She said that troops around Massachusetts could sell cookies as early as Dec. 7, so the shortage has really only affected them as their season winds down. (We have until March 10 to buy cookies, people.)
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Gail Spring, who leads a Cambridge/Somerville troop, said the new cookies were delicious — everyone in her troop liked them — and demand was strong. “We’re hoping they put them out as a regular cookie next year.”
Brittany Bowker can be reached at brittany.bowker@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittbowker and on Instagram @brittbowker.