Visor-Hood for Winter Wear

by Derek Hsu, Dante Vaisbort, Wendy Wang, and Yuki Yuminaga

Our product idea is a simple plastic visor which can be attached to the hood of winter jackets to better shield people from the elements.

What is the potential size of this market opportunity?

The winter wear market is worth approximately $403 billion, with a projected annual growth of rate of nearly 6% over the coming decade. Roughly 15% percent of Americans live in perpetually warm climates, so our target market is around 300 million people. Average monthly spending on clothes is $161 per person. Our product will be in the range of $30 and will likely only be purchased once. Given these parameters, we are competing for a $9 billion share of a $144 billion market (6%).

What exactly is the gap in the market that (hopefully) exists/what is the opportunity?

Most of the winter facial gears available in the market are variations of traditional ski masks, which are not people’s top choices when it comes to aesthetics or design. The ski masks are also a separate piece that would have to be carried around, creating a potential pain point for consumers. The opportunity for our product is mainly the convenience made possible by attaching the face shield to the hood of a winter jacket and the possibility to keep most of your face warm during chilly winter days.

What other products exist? (What is good/bad about them in terms of product-market fit)

Our largest competitor would be Sellstrom, which sells weather face shields on Amazon starting at around $10. However their products do not attach to hoods and are generally unattractive and inferior:

• Too bulky (both the glass and the helmet) to be a casual accessory.
• While the design is simple, it is unattractive.

Many face shields on the market mainly focus on functionality and target a specific group of customers. They generally lack visual appeal to casual and fashion-oriented consumers and aren’t attachable to clothing.

What do potential customers want and what might their other pain points be?

• Stay warm from the brutal wind
• Comfort in the cold
• Looks stylish
• Wearable and attachable to jacket, coat etc.

What price could be possible to charge/what are the potential ways to make money from this idea?

Face shields range from $10 for basic versions to $50 for higher-end equipment. Our product would be midrange (in the ballpark of $30).