Customer Story

Chopper Mill

Chopper Mill set out to reimagine kids’ winter gear by designing mittens from the ground up—specifically for little hands, not shrunken adult styles.

Location

Minnesota

Industry

Winter Apparel

Website

choppermill.com

Adv.

Built for Little Hands

Spotting the Child‑First Gap

Our research surfaced an overlooked lever: kids don’t just need smaller mittens—they lose them. Parents’ biggest frustration (and cost driver) was replacing single mittens mid‑winter. Chopper Mill met this emotional pain point with a first‑of‑its‑kind Mitten Insurance program: lose one, get a replacement—no questions asked. Paired with child‑specific design features such as easy‑on cuffs, tag‑free interiors, and custom sizing, the insurance promise created a moat competitors couldn’t match without eroding margins or retooling their supply chains.

Spotting the Child‑First Gap

Our early research revealed an overlooked lever: every brand ignored kids’ unique needs, while Chopper Mill could celebrate them. By showcasing child‑specific functionality—easy‑on cuffs, tag‑free interiors, custom sizing—and wrapping it in a joyful narrative, we could create a moat competitors wouldn’t match without inflating costs or retooling production.

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Building Mittens—and a Story—From Scratch

We co‑designed a super‑premium mitten using the finest materials, eliminating irritating inks and tags, and adding personalization patches kids loved. We crafted a warm, kid‑centric brand language, produced a launch film, and authored The Mitten Thief—a children’s book that introduced the product while manufacturing ramped up. A direct‑to‑consumer site, clean packaging, and an inventive “mitten insurance” model rounded out the go‑to‑market experience.

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From Backyard Play to National Shelves

Centering on a child‑first promise turned a simple mitten into a storytelling brand. The book generated early revenue and PR; grandparents flocked to buy personalized mittens as gifts; and retailers took notice of a product engineered—not resized—for kids. Chopper Mill quickly gained nationwide traction, earning loyalty from parents and delight from children, proving that purposeful design can transform an overlooked niche into a winter essential.

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The Market Narrative

For snow angels and snowball fighters…

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To charge the sled hill and bomb the ski run…
To tear up the ponds, lakes and rinks…
On crisp mornings and frigid nights…
Breath fogging, bodies active, minds alert…
At home outside whatever the windchill…
Winter kids need warm hands.

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So where the #&!! are their good mittens? Between the one that always goes missing and the pair that’s frozen in the first five minutes, winter mittens aren’t keeping up with kids — spoiling the outdoor fun before it starts. Childhood is too short, and winter is too long, for mittens that can’t keep up.

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As parents and passionate winter-lovers, this was our call to action. In 2020, we set out to make children’s mittens worthy of the people they protect. We tinkered and reinvented down to the smallest detail: fit and function, windproofing and waterproofing, how parents buy and how kids stay covered. And Chopper Mill was born. Helping families embrace winter with two toasty hands.

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MADE TO LAST

Extraordinary quality crafted for generations of use, designed by people who’ve lived through what they’re
made for.

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MADE TO LOVE

Cozy comfort meets intelligent features like extra-long cuffs, fast-dry materials, and carabiners that keep kids and gloves connected.

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MADE TO LOSE

Mitten Insurance means your first lost glove is replaced for free. And you can always order the one you need
without buying a new pair.

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And we’re just warming up. Next we’re exploring colors, patterns and seasonal offerings, online personalization, and special packages for sports teams and growing families. More choices, more fun, more ways to do winter right. Being safe, comfortable and confident in nature shouldn’t be a privilege. By supporting gear donations and scholarship programs, we’re preparing as many families as possible to love winter more. From chilly mornings at the bus stop to full-on snowmageddon, Chopper Mill empowers winter kids to bundle up, step up and grow up outdoors.

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We say, Bring On the Cold.

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