Most men do not look forward to the idea of shopping with their loved ones. There is a good reason for that, as men often only shop for essentials and exit the store in under twenty minutes. Women, and especially children, tend to take their time when browsing a store. One Chinese mall has come up with a solution which pleases both parties. The husband storage facility allows women to drop off their partner and collect them on the way home.
Please Drop off Your Husband at the Nearest Pod
It is always interesting to see how technology evolves, especially when these projects merge with real life situations. Equipping a shopping mall with “husband storage pods” is a novel idea, yet it is far less crazy than it sounds. In fact, it is a convenient solution for couples exploring the mall together. Women can take their time browsing all stores in the mall, while their husbands relax and play video games in their own cubicle.
This new facility can be found in the Shanghai-based Global Harbour Mall. Visitors will immediately notice there are several glass pods throughout the facility where wives can safely and securely store their husband for an extended period of time. This is kind of like a husband daycare service.
Every glass pod is equipped with a comfortable chair, monitor, gamepad, and a computer. The specifications of the computers are unknown at this time, but it is probably top of the line equipment. However, the only supported games right now are retro games dating back to the late 20th century. In China, such games are still quite popular.
This service is completely free of charge, though that may change in the future. The mall has plans to introduce a QR code system which lets wives pay a small sum of money to keep their husbands entertained. Prices have not been set yet, but it is likely this will not cost a terrible amount of money. Paying for this service only makes sense, since the mall had to make an initial investment for this equipment and space.
While this new service has been received with great enthusiasm, there is still room for improvements. Right now, there is no ventilation or air conditioning, which makes this solution less comfortable during the warmer periods of the year. These are all issues which can be resolved with relative ease over the coming months. It will certainly create a new incentive for husbands to accompany their spouses to the mall, even if they decided to play video games for the duration of the trip.
The Global Harbour mall is not the first location to introduce such a project. IKEA Australia introduced their in-store Manland back in 2011. Every Manland is equipped with foosball tables, flat screen televisions, video games, and hot dogs. It remains to be seen if either of these projects will be wildly successful in the long run. Husbands do not like to shop and stores are willingly addressing these problems in their own unique ways.
