• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, November 15, 2010

JCPenney, which last week said it had formed a New Growth Brands division, is already hatching its first big baby: The Foundry Big & Tall Supply Co., which will expand to 300 units and an ecommerce site in the next five years.

The stores will carry an assortment of national men's brands, as well as private-label clothing. Big and tall men now account for 50% of the population, it says, spending some $6 billion annually. And thanks to America's weight problem, it's one of the fastest growing segments out there.

The new Penney division—run by marketing vet Anne Sutherland Fuchs—has also introduced two other retail initiatives, both in partnership with Hearst Corp. Gifting Grace, an online gifting resource, will target women, ages 30 to 54, offering gift items, content and tools for the year-round gift-giver. Leveraging such Hearst brands as Good Housekeeping and Redbook, it plans to introduce the site with online marketing, as well as promotions in various Hearst books.