Chinese Mall Introduces ‘Pods’ for Shopping Wives to Store Husbands In

Shopping malls in Shanghai and Hong Kong, China are trying out the use of personal pods specifically designed for husbands while waiting for their shopping wives. The pods are referred to locally as a “husband rest room”, containing a comfortable seat and a self-service computer equipment. The pods are actually in the middle of the mall with full view of passing crowd. The walls are also transparent  but it is fully enclosed, so the husbands are not disturbed from whatever waiting activity they want to partake in.

For the Benefit of Shopping Wives

Although the pods are designed for husbands, the primary drive to install them is for the shopping wives. Husbands are known to nag their wives while shopping so it affects the sales at the mall. When husbands are kept occupied, the wives can shop for hours and gives both parties peace of mind. The enclosed space of the booth also gives men an escape from the crowd. Unlike regular arcades which cater to younger people, the ‘husband pods’ are pre-loaded with retro games such as Tekken 3, specifically for older players.

Not everyone is happy with it however. The idea still has some kinks that need to be worked out and the facilities still need some improvement. One husband in particular, complained that there is not enough ventilation and no dedicated air-conditioning in the room. Although the enclosed space is ideal for dampening outside noise out, it also makes for poor ventilation. Many have complained that sweat is already pouring just five minutes inside the enclosure.