QuickBooks OnlineIntuit
Mandatorym/Point of Sale. You are required to use point of sale software approved by us and hardware approved by us and you are required to provide access to your accounting system through QuickBooks Online. T
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Scout & Molly's
Retail non foodSoftware purchasing at Scout & Molly's is controlled at the corporate level, with Chief Executive Officer Ed Samane and Chief Operating Officer Michael Mercado identified as key executives in the 2025 FDD. The franchise currently mandates QuickBooks Online by Intuit Inc. for financial management. With 20 franchised locations and an average unit volume of $758,390, the addressable market is small but concentrated, offering a tight target for vendors selling into boutique retail franchises.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
20
20 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-9.091%
vs prior filing
AUV
$758K
Item 19, 2024
Royalty
7%
of gross sales
Ad fund
1%
national + local
Initial fee
$60K
per unit
Investment range
$319K–$388K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
8%of gross sales (FY2025)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
1 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
FacebookMeta
red event, you will be charged a $1,000 fee. (Franchise Agreement, Section 4(c)). 10. Social Media. We also may maintain one or more social media sites (e.g., www.twitter.com; www.facebook.com, or suc
InstagramMeta
ng a separate website, or otherwise maintaining a splash page or other presence on the Internet including social networking sites, including but not limited to Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, M
LinkedInLinkedIn
bsite. We will maintain a website (the “Website”), which may include any account, page or other presence on a social and business networking media site (such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) and online
PinterestPinterest
aintaining a splash page or other presence on the Internet including social networking sites, including but not limited to Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, MySpace, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube,
TikTokTikTok
te website, or otherwise maintaining a splash page or other presence on the Internet including social networking sites, including but not limited to Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, MySpace, Twi
TwitterX
a scheduled required event, you will be charged a $1,000 fee. (Franchise Agreement, Section 4(c)). 10. Social Media. We also may maintain one or more social media sites (e.g., www.twitter.com; www.fac
YouTubeGoogle
a splash page or other presence on the Internet including social networking sites, including but not limited to Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, MySpace, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Plaxo.
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
29 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 5 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
You are also required to use our designated accounting software and accounting services vendor.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We will have independent access to the information generated and stored in the systems.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must supply to Franchisor, monthly profit and loss statements by the 25th of each month, for the preceding month.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor shall designate one or more designated vendors or suppliers, which may be the Franchisor or an affiliate, for the Store’s merchandise.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
Approval of any supplier may be revoked by us at any time, and will be communicated to franchisees in the Operations Manual or other written communication.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
5568.80Item 8
In the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, we received $5,568.80, which is less than 1% of our total revenue of $1,198,883.00, from franchisees for required purchases.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
Some third-party vendors/suppliers pay us a rebate or any other consideration in connection with required franchisee purchases.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
10Item 8
The amount of all required purchases of products and services that meet standards and specifications will represent approximately 51% to 60% of your overall purchases in opening the franchise and less than 10% to 20% of your overall purchases in operating the franchise.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
You must pay for any costs we incur in gathering the necessary information and/or assessing the fitness of a supplier.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you want to use a supply or equipment source that we have not approved, you must comply with our then-current approval process as set forth in the Operations Manual.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor shall have the option, to be exercised within thirty (30) days of termination, to assume Franchisee’s assumed name or equivalent registration and business licenses, telephone numbers, white and yellow pages telephone directory listings and advertisements (whether in print or part of an Internet directory)…
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee warrants and represents and covenants that it shall comply with applicable prevailing industry standards concerning privacy, data protection, confidentiality and information security, including, without limitation, (i) the then-current Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard of the PCI Security…
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor and its agents shall be permitted, with or without notice, to enter the Franchised Business before and after the Opening Date in order to inspect, photograph, and/or videotape on- going new construction or leasehold improvements, equipment and operations, and the performance of any and all services…
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor shall have the right to modify the policies and procedures of the Manuals at any time, which modifications shall be binding upon Franchisee.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
We must approve the proposed site for your store in writing before you sign your lease or begin any construction of improvements.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
Unless you obtain our prior written consent, you are prohibited from establishing or maintaining a separate website, or otherwise maintaining a splash page or other presence on the Internet including social networking sites, including but not limited to Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, MySpace, Twitter…
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 11
You shall pay, to Franchisor’s approved supplier, a fee of $6,000, to fund the Grand Opening advertising campaign
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee is required to spend at least $1,000 per month on local advertising (“Local Advertising Minimum”) for the Franchised Business.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesFranchise agreement
If a Cooperative has been established applicable to the Store at the time Franchisee commences operations hereunder, Franchisee shall immediately become a member of such Cooperative.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase the merchandise you sell from the vendors we authorize or approve.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
Where we have designated only one approved supplier, you must use that supplier.
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees to use such credit card processing services designated by Franchisor to the extent thereof and to purchase and maintain, at Franchisee’s expense, any equipment necessary to permit such credit card processing functionality.
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
The Continuing Royalty is due and payable weekly via an Electronic Funds Transfer (“EFT”) withdrawal from an account you designate (“Due Date”).
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
The Store Manager shall devote full time and best efforts to the supervision and conduct of the development and operation of the Store
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Such standards and policies include, without limitation: (i) merchandise and services offered; (ii) hours of operation for the Store; (iii) employee uniform requirements and specifications; and (iv) use of specified emblems and Marks on bags, boxes, gift wrapping and other products.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You are required to use point of sale software approved by us and hardware approved by us
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have independent access to the information generated and stored in the systems.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
No additional training or refresher courses are required at this time, however, we may offer such mandatory or optional trainings in the future, during the term of your Franchise Agreement, and reserve the right to require your participation in such programs.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesItem 11
Franchisees are required to attend all conferences and other required training courses designated as required.
The vendor opportunity at Scout & Molly's
Scout & Molly's is a boutique women's apparel franchise headquartered in Pennsylvania. The system is small, with 20 franchised units and no company-owned stores reported in the 2025 FDD. Average unit volume sits at $758,390, and the royalty rate is 7.0%. Year-over-year unit growth declined by 9.091%, signaling a contracting footprint. For software vendors, this is a niche target: the total addressable market is just 20 locations, but the concentration of decision-making at HQ means a single deal can cover the entire system.
The operator base is entirely single-unit franchisees. FranCloud mapped 24 operators across roughly 24 located units, with no multi-unit owners. The top states by unit count are North Carolina (3), Texas (3), and Maryland (3), with smaller clusters in South Carolina (2) and Florida (2). This geographic spread is thin, meaning any field-sales effort would need to cover dispersed locations with low density.
Who controls software purchasing
The 2025 FDD Item 1 identifies the leadership team: Ed Samane serves as Chief Executive Officer, and Michael Mercado is Chief Operating Officer. Howard Soloway holds the Director of Finance role, making him the most likely point of contact for financial or operational software evaluations. Steve Pruitt, Senior Director and Chief Retail Officer, and John Simon, Vice President of Operations, round out the executive team and would likely influence any technology that touches store operations or retail workflows.
Because the system mandates QuickBooks Online at the franchisor level, purchasing authority for financial systems clearly sits with HQ. For any software category not explicitly mandated, the procurement model is not disclosed in the FDD, but the single-unit operator profile suggests franchisees have limited centralized purchasing power outside of what the franchisor requires.
Mandated and current tech stack
The only technology system named in the 2025 FDD is QuickBooks Online by Intuit Inc., which is mandated for franchisees. No point-of-sale, inventory management, e-commerce, scheduling, or CRM platforms are disclosed as mandated or recommended. This absence is itself a signal: either the franchisor leaves these categories open, or the systems in use are not considered material enough to disclose under Item 11. Vendors selling complementary or replacement financial tools will need to position against an entrenched Intuit mandate.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD does not include an Item 8 extract, so the formal procurement and supply-chain restrictions are not publicly known. The initial franchise agreement runs for 20 years, with two 5-year renewal terms available provided the franchisee is in good standing, executes a general release, and completes any required refurbishments or relocations. The franchisor may refuse renewal under specific conditions, including providing 180 days' notice if no more than one franchise operates in the territory and the refusal is not for the purpose of converting the location to a company-owned store.
With a 20-year initial term and a shrinking unit count, natural contract renewal cycles will be rare. The most realistic window for a software vendor is a system-wide initiative driven by HQ—such as a new POS rollout or an upgrade from QuickBooks—rather than a franchisee-led purchasing event.
How to read the Scout & Molly's FDD
The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document is the definitive source for understanding the franchisor's requirements, executive team, and unit economics. Key sections for software vendors include Item 1 (executives and business overview), Item 11 (mandated systems and suppliers), Item 8 (procurement restrictions), and Item 17 (renewal and termination terms). The full document is embedded below for your review. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help you prioritize your outreach.
Questions vendors ask
Scout & Molly's, answered from the filing
The 2025 FDD lists Ed Samane (CEO) and Michael Mercado (COO) as principal officers. For financial or operational software, the Director of Finance, Howard Soloway, is the likely day-to-day evaluator.
The FDD mandates QuickBooks Online by Intuit Inc. No point-of-sale or other operational systems are disclosed as mandated or recommended in the current filing.
The system consists of 20 total units, all of which are franchised. The FDD does not report any company-owned locations.
The 2025 FDD does not include an Item 8 extract detailing procurement restrictions. The model for non-mandated software is not publicly disclosed in the filing.
The initial franchise term is 20 years, with two 5-year renewal options. With 20 units and a -9.1% unit growth rate, renewal-driven evaluation cycles will be infrequent, but any new system-wide mandate would trigger an immediate opportunity.
The FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2025. You can review the full document in the embedded PDF viewer below.
Source
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FDD alert
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
24 operators run 24 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit24
Top states by locations
| NC | 3 |
|---|---|
| TX | 3 |
| MD | 3 |
| SC | 2 |
| FL | 2 |
Related Retail non food brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.