J.C. Penney Enters Subscription Business With Bombfell.com Partnership

J.C. Penney, long a leader in the men's big and tall business, expects to reach more of those customers with a new partnership it's formed with Bombfell.com, a men's clothing subscription box service similar to Stitch Fix and Trunk Club. The partnership gets Penney into the clothing subscription business, in which a stylist personalizes pieces and outfits based on a customer's preferences, occasion and lifestyle. Penney brings Bombfell customers the big and tall sizes they've needed at prices well below the average subscription box business. Penney and Bombfell declined to offer revenue splits or details of the business arrangement. Penney's merchandise will be shipped from Bombfell's warehouse.

Total Retail's Take: The department store chain views big-and-tall men's apparel as an underserved market, and this deal with Bombfell will help J.C. Penney tap into the 50 percent of men that identify themselves as big and tall. In addition, subscription commerce is a growing digital channel, and J.C. is wise to want to diversify its business and be less reliant on its brick-and-mortar stores. Leaders in the subscription commerce space, including Stitch Fix and Trunk Club, have leveraged customer data to help them personalize product options for customers, leading to a more convenient form of shopping.