Girl Scout cookie prices increasing to $6 a box in eastern Massachusetts

BOSTON - Girl Scout cookie prices are going up in Massachusetts, as well as other parts of the country.

Starting on November 20, the cost of a package of cookies is increasing to $6 in the Boston area, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts told WBZ-TV.

"The decision to raise the price of Girl Scout cookies is based on the costs associated with food production, labor, and transportation," spokeswoman Stacy Wilbur said in a statement.

The last time Girl Scout cookie prices went up in the area was in 2015. 

The Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson in New York made the same announcement this week.

"In order to combat rising production and material costs, GSHH will be increasing the price of all cookie packages to $6.00," the chapter's interim CEO wrote, adding "we expect our neighboring councils to announce similar increases in the coming weeks and months."

Some cookies, like S'mores and Toffee-Tastic, were already priced at $6. But now the higher price will apply to other cookies that the troops sell, including the more classic varieties.

Other chapters, including one in Louisiana and another in New York, announced similar increases last year. The Girl Scouts of Northern California also increased prices last year, saying that the change was necessary to balance their budget.

"Each of our 111 Girl Scout councils sets local Girl Scout Cookie prices based on several factors," a spokesperson for Girl Scouts of the USA told CNN. "In some instances, councils are faced with the tough decision to raise the prices, though prices have remained steady in many areas for a number of years." Troops across the country announced price increase from $4 to $5 a box in 2014 and 2015.

Consumers have been tightening their belts when it comes to discretionary items, and some may balk at the higher prices.

But Girl Scouts learned last year that there is a market for higher-priced cookies, thanks to the Raspberry Rally debacle. The Rallies, a limited-edition, raspberry-flavored version of the beloved Thin Mint, sold out rapidly and ended up on eBay for several times the listed price, to the frustration of the Girl Scouts leadership.