April 28 (UPI) — A Virginia Girl Scout council is offering a unique spin on contact-free cookie delivery by having the boxes distributed via drone.
The Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council teamed up with Wing, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet Inc., to offer drone delivery for Girl Scout cookies in Christiansburg.
“Even with loosening COVID restrictions, the traditional method of selling cookies outside of grocery stores or shops is difficult this year, and sales are down about 50% from prior years,” Lia Reich, Wing global communications lead, told USA Today. “It was a natural fit to partner with the Girl Scouts to help out in this situation.”
Christiansburg customers can order their drone deliveries through the Wing app or website through the end of May. The company said it is committed to delivering at least 3,000 boxes of cookies, but the number could increase based on demand.
Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council CEO Nikki Williams said the Girl Scouts still prepare the orders themselves and have the opportunity to learn about drone technology, but they do not pilot the unoccupied vehicles.
“I expect that the future is going to have an opportunity for drones to be delivering to everyone across the country,” she said. “I think this is just a really great microcosm as what that can look like as we prep for the future.”