THE BUY & BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP
YOUR BUYING OFFICE & PLANNING SERVICE, working seamlessly as one.
[ by House of Harlin Consulting x The Borden Agency ]
Two industry experts.
One cohesive plan.
A stronger business.
THE BUY & BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP
[ by House of Harlin Consulting x The Borden Agency ]
Your buying decisions should make sense on the floor, on paper and on the bottom line.
The buying office and planning partnership helping independent boutiques buy smarter, plan better and build stronger businesses.
You're running a boutique but you’re not supposed to be doing everything.
You know your customers and what sells. But between buying at market, managing inventory, watching cash flow and leading your team, it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture.
Without a clear plan connecting your buying decisions to your business performance, you're leaving too much to guesswork. And that can cost you more than time.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Buying without a clear plan. You're heading into market relying on last year's orders, gut instinct or incomplete reports rather than a trusted open-to-buy plan.
Inventory tying up your cash. Deliveries overlap, slow-moving stock sits on the floor, and markdowns eat into your margins.
Not knowing which brands are really performing. Sales figures can be misleading when promotions, employee purchases and other factors distort the picture.
Reporting that doesn't translate into action. You have spreadsheets and POS reports, but nobody has the time to turn them into decisions your team can actually use.
A disconnect between buying and planning. Your buyer and planner work separately, leaving you to connect the dots.
Being the person holding everything together. You're the owner, buyer, planner and problem-solver, and the business still depends on you remembering every little detail.
You don't need more reports. You need a plan that works.
Two Areas of Expertise.
One Stronger Business.
Your buying and your numbers should never operate in separate worlds.
That's why we brought House of Harlin Consulting and The Borden Agency together.
Catherine knows the brands, the showrooms and the market. TJ knows the numbers, the systems and the people behind the business. Together, we bring the buying office and retail planning under one roof, creating a more connected approach to running and growing your boutique.
The Buying:
THE BORDEN AGENCY
The right brands. The right assortment. The right opportunities.
Catherine works alongside you to refine your seasonal direction, discover brands, build relationships and execute a thoughtful buy that reflects your store's identity and customer.
The Business:
HOUSE OF HARLIN CONSULTING
The right numbers. The right plan. The right systems.
TJ turns your store's data into a clear, actionable plan, helping you understand your performance, manage your inventory, plan your cash flow and build systems your entire team can work from.
WHAT WE OFFER
OUR PROVEN APPROACH
Our partnership brings together two complementary services, designed to give you the expertise and support needed across the entire retail business.
HOUSE OF HARLIN CONSULTING
Retail Consulting & Business Planning
We turn your business data into a clear plan, giving you the tools, insight and structure to make better decisions.
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Sales planning: actuals, targets and previous-year comparisons.
Monthly open-to-buy planning by category.
On-order tracking by delivery.
Cash flow forecasting and in-season adjustments.
Buying budgets tailored to your store and its selling patterns.
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Sell-through reporting by full price, discount, promotions and employee purchases.
Margin analysis by brand.
Markdown and aged inventory reporting.
Size curves and product performance.
Brand scorecards to identify what to cut, hold or buy deeper.
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Best sellers and underperforming products.
Product performance with visual references.
Online versus in-store sales analysis.
Clear recommendations on what to push and where to focus.
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A shared, live client book organised by spend and customer tier.
Customer preferences, favourite brands and core sizes.
Last-contact tracking.
Identification of lapsed, high-value clients.
Monthly updates and staff walkthroughs.
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POS and reporting system clean-up.
Inventory and reorder processes.
Standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Team roles, responsibilities and training.
Retail operations and floor planning.
THE BORDEN AGENCY
Buying Office & Brand Development
We take the complexity out of buying, helping you build a thoughtful assortment, strengthen your brand mix and make the most of every market season.
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Seasonal buying strategy.
Assortment planning and refinement.
Product and category direction.
Buying decisions aligned with your store's identity, customer and budget.
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Discovery of new and emerging brands.
Brand and showroom introductions.
Vendor relationship management.
Strategic brand selection and development.
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Market appointments in New York and Paris.
Preparation and guidance ahead of market.
Brand negotiations and assortment edits.
Buying decisions informed by your store's performance.
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Purchase order support.
Delivery timing and follow-through.
In-season swaps and adjustments.
Product chases and reorders.
So how does it all come together?
The numbers inform the buy. The buy feeds back into the numbers.
Your buying decisions are backed by real sales data, brand performance and a clear open-to-buy plan. What happens at market then informs your financial and inventory planning throughout the season.
With weekly communication between both sides, nothing gets lost between two separate providers.
One partnership. One shared strategy. One team working towards the same goal: a stronger, more profitable boutique.
Meet TJ & Catherine
TJ Harlin
Founder of House of Harlin Consulting
Retail Strategy | Financial Planning | Business Operations
I started working in fashion at 15, and for 12 years I owned and bought for a seven-figure boutique alongside my mum, a seasoned industry professional.
Over the years, I've worked with fashion houses, PR agencies, retail conglomerates and celebrity stylists, building a deep understanding of the industry from every angle.
Today, I use that experience to help independent boutiques make sense of their numbers, build smarter buying plans and create systems that actually work for their businesses.
I'm not just here to pull reports or analyse data. I'm here to make sure you understand what you're looking at, why it matters and what to do next.
Think of me as your teammate, someone who cares about the details but never loses sight of the bigger picture.
CATHERINE BORDEN
Founder of The Borden Agency
Buying Strategy | Brand Relationships | Market Representation
I started The Borden Agency, a New York and Paris Buying Office, because I believe boutiques need more than great products to thrive.
They need a clear vision, a thoughtful assortment and the right relationships to help them stand out in an increasingly competitive retail landscape.
With 12 years of experience working with buying office clients, I work alongside retailers to refine their assortments, discover the right brands and build meaningful relationships with showrooms and designers.
My approach goes beyond the buy. It's about helping stores sharpen their identity, create an experience customers want to return to and take the strategic risks that set them apart.
I want to see boutiques become the trendsetters, tastemakers and heartbeat of their communities.
Better decisions. Stronger businesses. Real progress.
We believe the best retail decisions happen when you understand what is working, what isn't and what needs to happen next.
Our work is designed to create meaningful improvements across your buying, planning, inventory and customer relationships.
HERE'S WHAT WE HELP BOUTIQUES ACHIEVE:
Replace disconnected legacy planning services with reporting and planning systems built around their own POS data.
Identify high-value customers who have stopped shopping and create opportunities to reconnect with them.
Take brand scorecards and seasonal market books into buying appointments to make more informed decisions.
Build a stronger foundation for new stores through brand development, showroom introductions and retail planning.
Give owners and their teams a shared understanding of business performance and clear priorities to work towards.
Your Next Chapter Starts Here.
Tell us a little about your business, where you are now and where you'd love to go. We'd love to explore what's possible together.
Your boutique deserves more than guesswork.
You have built something worth investing in. Now it's time to give your business the structure, strategy and industry support it needs to grow.
Let's make your next season your strongest one yet.