Do enough traveling and you’ll come across plenty of unique items and amenities. This is as true with vending machines as it is with anything else. There are some truly unique vending machines around the world that sell items you might never have expected to find inside a vending machine.
Here’s a quick look at some fun vending machines around the world and where you can find them:
- Hello Kitty vending machines: Throughout Asia, Hello Kitty remains immensely popular. So popular, in fact, that you can find branded Hello Kitty vending machines throughout the continent. All of the items inside these vending machines feature the Hello Kitty brand, with everything from toys to shampoo.
- Book vending machine: At the National Museum of Singapore, there’s a unique vending machine that is ideal for bookworms. Find everything from children’s books to literary fiction, graphic novels and poetry in this vending machine. The selection is constantly changing, so you never know what you’ll find upon your visit to the museum!
- Live crab vending machine: Live crab vending machines first started showing up in China and Japan around 2010 and have gradually become a sensation. Crab is such a popular dish in Asia that it was really only a matter of time before someone found a way to put them into vending machines. The machines often include vinegar and ginger tea as well.
- Beer vending machines: There are several locations throughout the world where you can find beer vending machines. They first showed up in Japan and now are all over the nation there. Many beer brands in Japan have their own vending machines. They feature electronic driver’s license scanners to prevent underage drinkers from taking advantage of them.
- Banana vending machine: Another fixture in Japan is the Dole banana vending machine. These machines first started showing up around 2010, when Dole decided a Tokyo subway would be a great location to test its first banana vending machine. The bananas in the machine are kept at 13°C (55°F), considered the optimal temperature for banana storage.
- Art vending machine: Clark Whittington of North Carolina piloted the idea of the art vending machine, a reconfigured cigarette machine he calls the Art-o-Mat. You can now find Art-o-Mats throughout America, each of which will have small pieces of art created by local artists who apply to have their work put into the vending machine. You never know exactly what to expect from these vending machines, which always makes it a treat to come across one in the wild.
- Dubai gift machine: S*uce in the Dubai Village Mall features a gift vending machine that dispenses a wide variety of popular gifts that are perfect for birthdays and holidays. They’ll even come out wrapped in a golden, shiny gift bag.
We always love learning about fun and unique vending machines around the world, so if you happen to see any on your travels, be sure to send us a photo at VSI Vending & Coffee Services!