8 October 2026International edition
Vol. I · No.
8 October 2026
AI in Fashion
DAILY
The daily briefing on AI in the fashion business
Where fashion meets artificial intelligence.
Mass market and fast fashion

Spao

E-Land · South Korea

Spao is a South Korean mass market fashion brand belonging to the E-Land group. E-Land, founded in 1980 and based in Seoul, owns about 60 apparel brands in Korea.

Facts
OwnerE-Land
Group founded1980, Sinchon, Seoul
Group headquartersMapo-gu, Seoul
CountrySouth Korea
SegmentMass market and fast fashion
Segment
Value
Categories
MenswearWomenswearChildrenswear
Sales channels
Own storesE-commerce

What is Spao?

Spao is a South Korean fashion brand of the E-Land group. The source used here describes the group rather than the brand, so brand level details such as founding year and store count are not given.

The group behind it

E-Land began in 1980 as a 6 square metre clothing shop in front of Ewha University in Sinchon, Seoul. Its first brand was called England and was renamed E-Land because of trademark registration limits. Apparel is the cornerstone business, alongside groceries and housewares. The group owns about 60 brands in Korea and operates licensed brands such as New Balance, Berghaus, Ellesse and K-Swiss. The headquarters is in Mapo-gu, Seoul.

Business model and distribution

According to Wikipedia, products reach customers through about 5,000 franchise stores and 59 E-Land owned stores, and the group has worldwide operations through its subsidiary E-Land World. It also runs retail operations including NC Department Store, NewCore Outlet and 2001 Outlet. The first 2001 Outlet opened in 1994 as the first outlet store in the Korean market.

Why it matters

Spao shows how a large Korean conglomerate covers several customer groups with separate apparel labels. Ownership at group level is verified; brand level facts should be checked against E-Land materials before relying on them.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Spao?

Spao belongs to the E-Land group of South Korea. E-Land was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Mapo-gu, Seoul.

Where is Spao from?

Spao is from South Korea and is part of the apparel business of the E-Land group.

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