Welcome to Nicholas Agency & Co.
Nicholas Agency & Co Pty Ltd is a Sydney based wholesale homewares and giftware supplier, proudly family run since 1975. From our early beginnings importing distinctive Moroccan homewares into Australia, we have grown into the NF brand retailers know today, offering a broad range of home décor, giftware, servingware, textiles, wall art, bags, bath accessories and lifestyle products for Australian stores.
Our Story
Nicholas Agency & Co Pty Ltd is a family run Australian wholesale homewares and giftware supplier with a history dating back to 1975.
Founded by Mario Martino, the business began with a strong focus on distinctive Moroccan homewares. At the time, Nicholas Agency was known for importing unique, handmade Moroccan pieces into Australia, with ranges that celebrated craftsmanship, texture, colour and individuality. These early collections helped shape the foundation of the business and gave NF its long standing appreciation for products with character, story and point of difference.
From Moroccan ceramics, terracotta pieces, lanterns, leather lamps and decorative homewares, the original range was built around items that felt special. Many pieces were handmade, meaning no two were exactly alike. That sense of uniqueness became part of the Nicholas Agency identity and remains part of the NF approach today.
As the Australian retail market changed, so did the business.
In the years that followed, the company expanded beyond Moroccan homewares and began sourcing from a wider network of suppliers. Franton Imports introduced contemporary handicrafts from China and India in the 1990s, bringing new materials, finishes and product categories into the range. In 2000, the NF brand was launched, bringing together Nicholas Agency and Franton under one recognised wholesale brand.
Today, NF continues that same spirit of sourcing, design and product development, but in a much broader and more modern way.
Who We Are Today
NF is now a Sydney based wholesale supplier of homewares, gifts, décor and lifestyle products for Australian retailers.
Our range has grown from its early Moroccan homewares heritage into a diverse wholesale collection covering home décor, servingware, kitchenware, bath accessories, textiles, cushions, wall art, photo frames, bags, giftware, entertaining pieces, games, grooming gifts and retailer ready seasonal ranges.
We work with retailers across Australia, from gift stores and homewares boutiques to lifestyle stores, furniture retailers, florists, pharmacies, garden centres, department style stores and interior focused businesses.
While the product range has changed and grown, the heart of the business has stayed the same. NF is still family run, still based on long term relationships and still focused on products that offer retailers style, value, quality and strong shelf appeal.
Today, Nicholas and Francesco continue to lead the business with the support of a dedicated team across buying, logistics, sales, accounts, marketing, design, warehousing and customer service.
From Moroccan Homewares to a Complete Wholesale Range
Our early collections were known for Moroccan influence, handmade finishes and decorative statement pieces. Those products helped establish the company’s reputation for distinctive homewares with story and personality.
Over time, the NF range has evolved to meet the needs of modern Australian retailers.
Today, our wholesale product portfolio includes over 2000 product lines, with hundreds of new items introduced each season. This gives retailers access to a wide mix of products across everyday homewares, gift boxed pieces, decorative accents, seasonal ranges and display driven collections.
The current NF range includes categories such as:
Home décor
Wall art
Cushions and textiles
Servingware and entertaining pieces
Kitchenware and bakeware
Photo frames
Bath accessories
Bags and travel accessories
Games and men’s gifts
Grooming gifts
Ceramics
Marble, wood, glass and metal homewares
Gift boxed products
Our goal is to help retailers build displays that feel fresh, commercial and easy to shop. We look for products that can work as stand alone pieces, but also merchandise well together across colour, material, theme and season.
What Has Stayed the Same
Even though NF has grown and changed, the original values behind the business are still part of how we work.
We believe in long term relationships with our customers and suppliers. Strong supplier relationships allow us to develop better products, improve consistency and maintain reliable supply. Strong customer relationships help us understand what retailers need on the shop floor, what products are working, and where the market is heading.
We also believe that a good wholesale product needs more than a good price. It needs to have style, quality, purpose and retail appeal. It needs to make sense in store, be easy to display and offer the customer a reason to pick it up.
That thinking has been part of NF from the beginning. In the early years, it was seen in handmade Moroccan pieces with unique finishes and strong character. Today, it can be seen across a much wider range of homewares, gifts and lifestyle products designed for Australian retail.
Designed for Australian Retailers
NF works with retailers who want more than basic stock. Our customers are looking for products that help create stronger displays, better gifting opportunities and more engaging in store moments.
We understand that retailers need products that look good, sell well and arrive with the support needed to make ordering easier. That is why we focus on a wide product mix, seasonal newness, retailer ready ranges and helpful sales support.
Our team works across sourcing, buying, design, photography, packaging, logistics and customer support to bring together a range that suits Australian stores and changing customer tastes.
Whether a retailer is looking for home décor, wall art, cushions, kitchenware, gift boxed products, bags, games, entertaining pieces or seasonal collections, NF offers a broad wholesale range designed to help stores refresh their shelves and create stronger displays.
Our Approach to Product
Product selection has always been central to NF.
In the early days, the business focused on handmade and imported pieces with strong character. Today, our buying approach is broader, but the thinking is still similar. We look for products with point of difference, practical retail appeal and the ability to sit well in a store environment.
We consider colour, finish, material, packaging, price, trend direction, shelf appeal and how products can be merchandised together. We also look at how a product fits within the wider NF range so retailers can build stories across categories.
This includes products for everyday gifting, seasonal displays, home styling, entertaining, kitchen and dining, personal accessories, decorative spaces and impulse friendly retail moments.
Our range is built to give retailers flexibility. Some products are designed as feature pieces, while others work as easy add ons, gift ready items or display fillers that help complete a retail story.
A Family Run Wholesale Business
Nicholas Agency & Co has always been a family business.
From Mario Martino’s early vision in 1975 to the growth of the NF brand today, family involvement has shaped the way we work. The business has grown through years of sourcing, travelling, buying, supplier relationships, customer conversations and hands on experience in the wholesale homewares industry.
That family approach still matters. It keeps the business personal, practical and connected to its customers. Retailers are not dealing with a faceless supplier. They are working with a team that understands the product, the history and the needs of independent stores across Australia.
Our service is built around communication, reliability and support. We know retailers need clear information, dependable supply, accurate product details and a team that is easy to reach when help is needed.
Why Retailers Choose NF
Retailers choose NF because we offer a broad and constantly evolving wholesale homewares and giftware range, backed by decades of industry experience.
Our customers value the variety of our range, the regular introduction of new products, the ability to merchandise across categories and the support of a Sydney based team that understands Australian retail.
With over 2000 product lines and more than 500 new items introduced each season, NF gives retailers the opportunity to keep their stores fresh, build stronger displays and offer their customers something new throughout the year.
We are proud to supply products that support gift shops, homewares stores, lifestyle retailers, furniture stores, interior stylists and other trade customers across Australia.
Looking Ahead
NF has come a long way from its early Moroccan homewares collections, but the original idea remains the same: to bring retailers products with character, quality and strong retail appeal.
Our range will continue to evolve with the market, but our focus remains steady. We are here to support Australian retailers with wholesale homewares, gifts and lifestyle products that help stores feel fresh, considered and commercially strong.
From our family history to our current collections, NF is built on relationships, product knowledge and a genuine understanding of retail.
Nicholas Agency & Co Pty Ltd is proud to continue supplying Australian retailers under the NF brand, with a range that reflects where we have come from and where we are heading.
Ready to explore the NF range?
Browse our wholesale homewares and giftware collections online, register for a trade account or contact our sales team to speak with an NF representative in your area.
