Chinese shopping mall introduces remedy for bored men: the hubby hatch
Single-seat booths are veritable man caves that allow women to shop in peace while their partners entertain themselves in comfort
The sight of women undertaking retail therapy with bored spouses or boyfriends in tow is certainly not confined to China, but a mall in the country’s biggest city has come up with unique remedy to keep at least the men happy, an official news website reports.
Global Harbour, Shanghai’s largest mall, recently launched four “husband rest hatches” where long-suffering boyfriends and husbands can put their feet up and play computer games while their significant others shop till they drop, Thepaper.cn reported on Thursday.
Four rest hatches, each accommodating one person in tech-friendly comfort, have been placed around the mall on a one-month trial.
So far, they have been very popular with their intended users, the report said. Each hatch features a seat as plush as any found on a business-class train, along with a big TV screen and games console that let the men entertain themselves.
The hatches have had a mixed reception from couples, however. “Such a machine is just the best of both worlds: the girlfriend can take her time shopping while I have some fun without disturbing others,” one man said in the report.
But some women were not taken by the idea: “It’s impossible to ask a man to stop playing games,” one woman complained. “I may now have to wait for him when I finish shopping but he’s still playing games.”
Said another: “A man is supposed to accompany his girlfriend to shop. I’ll be the bored one if he plays games and has fun by himself.”
