SHANGHAI
(Reuters) - At a Shanghai mall, rows of "man pods" equipped with
video games are proving a big hit, providing a refuge for hundreds of weary
husbands and
boyfriends as their other halves shop until they drop.
The first
pods were launched at the Global Harbor shopping mall in Shanghai in June, and
since then over 1,000 men have used the facilities, according to Ruwo Smart
Technology, the company behind the scheme.
"Man
pod" users can recline in a chair with a large screen and play video games
while enclosed behind clear glass walls that shut out the bustle of other
shoppers.
"I
think this idea is pretty good because nowadays many boys like me are not
willing to go shopping with their girlfriends," said Yao Lei, a 26-year
old man using one of the new booths on Saturday.
With retail
spending increasing another 10 percent in the second quarter of 2017, there
could be huge demand for such facilities and the firm said it plans to expand
the service to other shopping malls in the 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."
0 Comments