Girl Guiding is about more than biscuits, says the organisation's chief executive. And so, she has no regrets announcing the biscuits may disappear forever after 2019, when Girl Guides will stop selling them.

After 61 years, Girl Guides chief executive Susan Coleman announced the organisation would stop asking its members to sell the biscuits.

The hours put into selling them from parents and members had become too much, she said.

But there was hope for fans of the iconic biscuit. Countdown Supermarkets merchandise manager Steve Mills told Girl Guides and Griffins to "call us on Monday", opening the door to the possibility of selling the fundraiser biscuits in the future.

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"Certainly, our members will cease to sell them, however, we are currently in discussions with Griffins about whether we can continue our partnership," Coleman said on Saturday.

Griffins owned the biscuit recipe as part of a partnership between Girl Guides and the biscuit maker, she said.

That partnership made the organisation more than $880,000 across 2016 and 2017, according to Coleman, who said she hoped Girl Guides would be able to keep using the biscuits to fundraise.

But, the days of sending girl guides out onto the streets were over.

"The biscuits have become almost a New Zealand institution," she said. In part, that was why she said the organisation wanted to distance itself from them.

A recent brand survey found that when people think about Girl Guides, their first thoughts were about camping and the biscuits.

"We are so much more than that. We are empowering young women, and it's time we refocus and reposition our brand," Coleman said.

"Biscuits are not our purpose. By making the decision to discontinue selling biscuits, we can put a lot of time into our core focus."

In a statement, Griffin's managing director Brett Henshaw said the company was open to working with Girl Guides to continue to support the organisation.

But, Coleman said it was too early to say if the biscuits would be saved or would disappear forever after 2019.

Girl Guides had promised "a small biscuit season" next year before they stopped selling them.

If they were unable to keep money flowing in through a different form of biscuit fundraiser, such as in supermarkets, then Coleman said Girl Guides was prepared to cut back in some areas. They were looking to sell some properties and move some leadership courses online, she said.