vending machines

Who's ever opened a new pack of diapers, headed out for the day, and suddenly realized that just-opened pack of nappies is still sitting on the changing table, while your diaper bag sits devoid of the things? Whether it's a missing diaper, dried out wipes, or delinquent sippy cup, rushing mamas have a tendency to run out the door with a half-packed bag lacking a few of their daily necessities. That's where the Nanny Caddy comes in. The tot-centric vending machines are filled with everything a diaper-changing mama may need – and more (including three sizes of diapers, Tylenol, toilet seat covers, hand sanitizer, and bandages). Currently located at several children's museums around the country, as well as a few zoos and amusement parks, the machines can save parents from abruptly ending a family outing when a diaper blowout occurs.

Have you seen, or tried, a baby-item vending machine yet?

How will America's food landscape change in the coming year? If two recent articles from MSNBC are any indicator, organic will really hit the mainstream in 2011.

The first details results of an adult consumer survey, which illustrate that while the percentage of people who buy organic over the past two years hasn't budged, what has changed is where they're buying it. Fewer sales are coming from Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and natural foods stores, with more generated at Target and conventional grocers such as Safeway.

Government changes in food policy and the passing of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act will also impact the number of organic vending machines; vending franchises expect "exponential" growth in organics this year, as schools, offices, and gyms trade in Twinkies and Oreos for the likes of gluten-free granola, organic yogurt, and fresh fruit.

Do you anticipate buying more organic in the coming year?

Could bread baked from scratch soon become an antiquated craft? In Germany, bakers fear it already has. Supermarket Aldi Süd has over 600 backofens, or bread "baking ovens," vending machines that boast the slogan "fresh out of the oven — direct into the bag."

According to The Wall Street Journal, the German grocery chain plans to roll them out in all of its 1,780 outlets. The machines boast speed and efficiency, dispensing warm bread by heating already-shaped, partially baked dough in seconds for less than it costs to buy a pack of gum.

But in Germany, where the average citizen consumes 192 pounds of bread a year and bakers train for a minimum of three years, bakers are up in arms. The German Bakers' Confederation is seeking legal recourse, accusing Aldi Süd of deceptive advertising.

It will be interesting to see if Aldi expands its concept to North America, although I'm not sure the automat has staying power in the US. Still, there's no denying the convenience and affordability factor. Do you think bread vending machines could take off stateside?

Source: Flickr User David Boyle