A Shanghai mall has installed rows of “man pods.” Equipped with video games, a reclining chair, and a large television screen, the pods are encased behind clear glass walls to shut out shoppers. So far, they’ve proved a home run with weary husbands and boyfriends: over 1,000 men have used the facilities, according to Ruwo Smart Technology, the company behind the booths.
“I think this idea is pretty good because nowadays many boys like me are not willing to go shopping with their girlfriends,” Yao Lei, a 26-year-old man using one of the new booths on Saturday, told Reuters.
Although they’re only at Shanghai’s Global Harbor shopping mall at the moment, plans are in development to expand the facilities to other malls in the near future.
“We found in most malls men and women go shopping together but men cannot accept spending a long time shopping,” said Zhao Wei, an operator of one of the pods.
“Sometimes they’ll even start having arguments. So we think in this situation, we can have a product that gives a man something to do and the girls can go shopping at ease.”