Vending machines are selling - what?!

Vending machines are everywhere and sell almost everything. They're self-serve, convenient, often cost-efficient and even when people don't buy, they do notice the machines and the branding--a plus.

At left, the Moet & Chandon Champagne vending machine with mini-bottles of bubbly, shown inside a Selfridges store before Christmas.

In Singapore, a BooksActually vending machine sells, well, books (see photo at right). This machine is installed in the National Museum of Singapore.

One unusual type of vending machine will (if approved) stock medical supplies to be dispensed, as needed, to emergency medical teams and firefighters in Victoria. The idea is to have products available when and where needed, without the cost of someone making daily rounds or having outdated medicines on hand.

In Melbourne, a fresh-food vending machine from FüD will sell healthy meals. The equipment is constructed of recycled materials and any unsold foods will be donated to charitable groups, minimising waste.

In France and America, short-story vending machines spill out tales designed to fit the customer's reading time. Have only 3 minutes? Press that button and the machine prints a long, thin piece of paper with a short story suitable for just 3 minutes, free, courtesy of Short Edition.