China mall offers 'husband pods' where grumpy men can be dropped off while partners shop

The Global Harbour Mall in Shanghai offers "husband storage", where sulky men can be dropped off and pacified with a variety of Playstation games while they wait for their partners to finish shopping.

It's a problem as old as malls themselves. The grumpy husband getting dragged around shops as he moans and complains about his boredom. A mall in China might have just found the solution.

The Global Harbour Mall in Shanghai now offers "husband storage", where sulky men can be dropped off and pacified with a variety of Playstation games. Sitting in a glass pod, the men are free to game away the hours on such classic titles as Tekken 3.

The pods contain a chair, a choice of gamepads, and a monitor for the men who can choose from a variety of games.

Men who tried out the pods gave local media a mixed response.

One said the pods were "Really great. I've just played Tekken 3 and felt like I was back at school!"

Another said "There's no ventilation or air conditioning, I sat playing for five minutes and was drenched in sweat."

Responses on social media were also mixed. According to the BBC, one man said the pods "give these men an incentive to go shopping, and to pick up the bill".

One woman didn't like the concept. "If my husband just wants to go out and play games, what's the point of bringing him out?" she asked, the BBC said.