Richard Lang & Son Ltd

Derby Innovation Accelerator

From tradition to transformation

With more than 75 years in the giftware and home décor industry, Richard Lang & Son Ltd has built a reputation for quality, creativity, and consistency. Their extensive range is designed in-house and sold through trade shows, a B2B website, and a network of sales agents across the UK and Ireland.

But with such a vast product catalogue and diverse customer base, the company faced a key challenge: how to make sense of their data to guide smarter business decisions.

Why partner with the University of Derby?

Richard Lang engaged with the university through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) aiming to dig deeper into their sales and customer datasets. The goal was clear:

Unlocking insights through data

The university worked with Richard Lang to analyse three key datasets: product performance, sales agent activity, and customer segmentation.

The project revealed:

By converting complex data into practical insights, the project created new opportunities for smarter stock management and sales strategies.

"Working with the University of Derby has given us the tools and expertise to truly understand our data and use it in ways that directly improve our business. We are now making better decisions about what to stock, reducing waste, and aligning our range more closely with what our customers actually want. This collaboration has already had a real impact, and we’re excited about what the future holds as we build on this work."

Steve Parker, CEO/ Joint Managing Director, Richard Lang.

From the right to the left, we have: Aaron Gordon (UoD), Steve Parker (RL), Oluwarotimi Williams Samuel (UoD), Mojisola Grace Asogbon (UoD), and Keith Edmondson (RL)
Farid Meziane

It has been a pleasure overseeing this project and seeing the tangible benefits it is already delivering for the company. The outcomes demonstrate the power of data-driven collaboration, and I am confident even greater successes lie ahead. It is worth noting that this collaboration started from an innovation voucher project that was well executed.

Professor Farid Meziane
Head of the Data Science Research Centre, University of Derby

Partnering with Richard Lang & Sons Ltd on this project underscored the impact of collaborative, data-driven problem-solving. By transforming data into strategic insights, the project unlocked new opportunities for growth, operational efficiency, and smarter decision-making. It demonstrated the value of applied analytics and the strength of academic-industry collaboration.

Dr. Mojisola Grace Asogbon
University of Derby

The collaboration with Richard Lang & Sons Ltd. showcased how data-driven insights can drive commercial value, improve strategic decision-making, and drive long-term business growth. The project revealed the real-world impact of applied research in building an agile, insight-led framework for business process optimisation.

Dr. Oluwarotimi Williams Samuel
University of Derby

Looking ahead

The journey has proven how academic expertise and industry challenges can come together to create lasting business transformation. For Richard Lang & Son Ltd, this is just the beginning - paving the way for a future where data powers growth, innovation, and resilience.