In what seems like a win-win for both husbands and wives, a mall in China has installed ‘husband storage’ pods for women to drop their spouse off while they shop.
The Global Harbour Mall in Shanghai has built a number of glass chambers for husbands who don’t want to be dragged around shopping centres anymore.
Inside, they'l be able to kick back and get a hit of nostalgia.
The pods include a comfortable chair, monitor, computer and gamepad, with retro 1990s games aplenty to keep the men occupied for those lengthy shopping waits.
Add in a vending machine and Netflix and you’ve got your whole day sorted.
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Currently, the games (and daycare pods) are free, but soon users will need to scan a QR code and pay a small sum to enjoy the service.
While you do have to question why the husbands aren’t staying home or getting their own fix of retail therapy, the allure of retro video games does make the trip to the shopping centre enticing.
The Paper in China spoke to a few of the men who had tried out the pods.
One man told the news outlet he thought the pods were 'really great'.
"I've just played Tekken 3 and felt like I was back at school," he said.
However, another man believed there was room for improvement.
“There's no ventilation or air conditioning, I sat playing for five minutes and was drenched in sweat," he said,
So, not the most sanitary of situations when stuck inside a large shopping centre.
Chinese social media platform Weibo saw mixed responses to the pods.
One user believed the pods were a great idea, saying they 'give these men an incentive to go shopping, and to pick up the bill'.
Others pointed out the obvious of the situation however, with one user asking: “Why couldn't the guys just stay at home and play video games?”
A glorified daycare for grown men, or a fun-filled retro trip down memory-lane? We're thinking a bit of Column A and a bit of Column B.
Topics: China, Shopping, Gaming, Retro Gaming
Jayden Collins