Soft drinks, electronics, nutrient-free snacks — you can get all of those from a vending machine. But what type of vending machine is sorely needed but doesn’t yet exist? Share your automated retail fantasies with us!

I’m a bit at a loss to think of a vending machine that doesnt yet exist. I’ve seen so many on my travels. Plus, there’s a big vending machine called the internet. I click on something and it turns up in my letterbox a few days later. i  live in a small town in France, so maybe ‘doesnt exist here’ is the go.

I got to love the vending machines in Japan. I quite miss Pocari Sweat, plus the lovely ice cold beers they sell. I wasnt so fond of the cans of  hot coffee though. Then again, I was at a hotel in Tokyo that had a fabulous automatic cappucino machine… good coffee (and I’m a real coffee snob). The Japanese machines are on every corner, so yes please, one of them just up the road.

As an almost Dutchman, I really miss the Febo. I love the hot krockets full of mysterious goo, well fried. I even love the burgers, dry, carboardy and almost completely artificial.  They’re still completely satisfying to chew on. I cant go to Amsterdam without walking up Leidsestraat (who can?)  I cant walk up Leidsestraat without getting something from the Febo.

In Paris there’s a vending machine that’s really a mini supermarket, it sells about 100 things. I can live without all of them, but maybe a vending machine that took me to Paris would be good.  Plenty of late night minimarts there to do my shopping.

I suppose I really want a machine that will gives me whatever I want, even though I dont know what that is exactly. I think we all spend time wanting something right NOW…. but we have no idea what.  I usually know what I dont want, but I cant imagine a machine that could do that. I suppose there could be a machine to give me what I need….. but somedays that might well be a smack in the head.

Maybe a vending machine that gives me ideas.  I’ve heard about them…. they’re called books.