Chinese mall installs 'husband storage' pods to ease the boredom while wives shop
A Chinese shopping mall has come up with a novel solution to entertain bored husbands.
Glass ‘husband storage’ pods have been installed at the Global Harbour Mall in Shanghai, according to Chinese state-run news site The Paper.
Each of the four pods is a miniature video games centre, for husbands that don’t want to be dragged around while their wives shop.
The pods feature a chair, monitor, computer and game controllers so men can sit and play retro games such as Tekken 3.
A few men that tried out the pods told The Paper that they preferred the pods to other shopping centre distractions like the cinema or food courts. Photo: The Paper/twitter
The service is currently free, but staff have said they are looking at monetising it in the future, potentially with users scanning a QR code on their phone to transfer payment.
Billboards in the shopping centre have been advertising the pods over the past month.
A few men that tried out the pods told The Paper that they thought they were a novel idea and that they preferred the pods to other shopping centre distractions.
One shopper, Mr Wu, said he thought the ‘husband rest cabin’ was a fantastic idea. “I do not like to accompany my girlfriend shopping, so whenever we go out shopping I will look for a movie to see or find a place to eat and sit,” he said, according to the Telegraph.
But others lamented the fact that the pods have no air conditioning or airflow and that they became ‘very sweaty’ after playing the game.
As online shopping grows in popularity retailers are having to try harder to entertain all shoppers, not just bored husbands.
In Australia interactive windows, in-store displays and ‘experience’ opportunities are becoming much more commonplace now, according to retail experts.
