Austin's creative, low-waste general store Parker + Scott is getting very transparent this holiday season. Founders Jess and Ian Haisley calculated that they needed to make 3,439 sales by New Year's Eve to maintain their current business operations. To help track those sales, they've launched a new web app that turns shopping into a community challenge.

Both owners appeared in a video posted November 8 announcing the goal and the counter on social media. They explained that they want to start a conversation about the reality behind running a small business. November and December are big months for the business, so it's important that sales stay on track.

In a phone call with CultureMap, Ian Haisley assuages fears that Parker + Scott is on the verge of closure.

"No, it's not dire. These are, like, standard business operation numbers that we need to hit," says Haisley. "But the reality is, a bad November/December leads to a potentially dire January/February. So much of the business is dependent on those gift-giving seasons ... that if we have an under-performance, then things get tight."

"Getting tight," he clarifies, doesn't mean immediate closure. Instead, it's a "waterfall" of different decisions: holding off on things like on buying a new product, expanding hours, or hiring someone new.

Gifts at Parker + Scott could be long-lasting, like a book, or gone before a party is over, like gourmet snacks.Photo courtesy of Parker + Scott

Where 3,439 comes from

To calculate the goal number of sales, Haisley found the store's average transaction amount in dollars from the past 24 months. When the couple announced the goal, they had 54 days left to hit it.

Haisley then used the vibe coding platform Lovable (which generates code based on user descriptions) to connect the store's Square account to a simple page that updates every 15 minutes. Near closing time on Wednesday, November 11, the recorded transactions had just passed the 200 mark. The site also shows how many sales happened that day, how many sales ahead or behind the store is, and how many days are left, plus a graphic representing the portion of the goal reached so far.

Transparency in local business

Letting customers see into the business in this way counteracts the public's tendency to assume that no news is good news for small businesses. He points out the impending closure of Dia's Market & Deli, one of the first stores the Haisleys shopped at when they moved from Austin to Chicago in 2020.

"We've seen [other small retailers] close, and seemingly it's out of the blue, right?" says Haisley. "I'm sure for them, much like for us, they're thinking about numbers on a daily basis, they're looking at stats constantly, but the announcement came, and it felt out of the blue. All of a sudden, for the first time ever, we hear that they've been struggling..."

Thankfully, Haisley says he and Jess are about to renew a five-year lease with a great rental rate — he knows because they consulted with their real estate agent and looked at other properties, just in case. Still, rent is a significant part of their budget, and it's all they can afford. Businesses in rented spaces are also always at risk of having to move if a property sells and is redeveloped.

Haisley says he thinks people who don't own a small business probably don't understand the full scope of overhead costs. Rent isn't the only cost. Before making any money at all, they also need to pay for an alarm and an internet bill, plus the majority of inventory in the store. (Some things, especially one-of-a-kind items by local makers like ceramics, are on consignment.)

Parker + Scott is best known in Austin for its refill bar, a table where shoppers can fill their own containers with household goods like shampoo, dish soap, and cleaning products. The store also specializes in plastic-free products, "better for you" options, and goods by local makers, especially women. A large snack section rounds out the shopping experience.

The refill bar is popular with customers who don't want to keep throwing away excessive packaging.Photo courtesy of Parker + Scott

Sometimes sustainable and thoughtfully made products end up costing more than their alternatives, but they are an integral part of the business. Haisley sees high demand for them, including at big retailers that are catching on. The refill bar is also good for business, because it draws in repeat customers, often as frequently as once a month.

Both owners are in the store often, keeping them connected to those regulars and other shoppers who happen to chat when they stop by. Haisley says he stocks a lot of new products by customer request. That kind of relationship makes it possible to move past stigma about hard business talk, and be honest about what the store needs to keep running smoothly.

"Because we're super invested in our neighborhood, super invested in the community, and we have really solid relationships, I think we see people far more frequently than a lot of shops might — which is something we work really hard to do," Haisley says.

Ideas for gift shoppers

Shoppers looking for gifts at the store will find plenty of new offers for inspiration. In the first update posted after the goal counter went live, the shop teased two new products: locally made functional chocolate by Haedyn ("hee-din"), and soy sauce made in Japan for a company based in Austin, called Dojo.

Haisley also says that curated gift boxes are coming back soon, and he's working on some blog posts to introduce readers to other popular products that make good gifts. Finally, he names some of Parker + Scott's small business neighbors that folks should check out while they're in the area: Blue Moon Glassworks, Sea of Beads, Birdhouse Books, Honey Hill Market, and Collected by Blackbirds.

"I don't know that everybody realizes how lucky we are to have so many unique shops and so many people who have taken a risk to put their retail dreams into reality...so like we should all be out there supporting them as much as we can," Haisley says. "They are unique shops that make Austin, Austin, and if we don't support them, they are going to disappear."

Parker + Scott is located at 2113 W. Anderson Ln., Ste B. Store hours are 10 am to 7 pm daily except Sundays, which are 11 am to 5 pm. Customers can also shop online at parkerandscott.com. Those sales also count toward the total goal.