Japanese Vending Machines.

An amazing phenomenon -- In Japan, for every 23 people there is one vending machine! (according to the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association)

http://www.sonic.net/~anomaly/japan/vending.htm

Click on this link for an anecdote on what's offered in these machines. On this list there are a few I have yet to see: rice, tampon, toilet paper, pornography, fresh milk, and batteries.

Maybe China will move towards this one day. But definitely not today -- cheap labour and theft (petty, serious, or grand) are commonplace. In Shanghai, in shortage of copper, people even steel hydro lines. Street lamps, shopping carts, cars, bikes -- Anything is game. Market economy can be just as extreme as 1950's communism when pots and pans and door knobs contribute to building tanks and planes.

What I'm curious about are the economics on deploying Japanese Meal Ticket Vending Machines in China. Thanks to these things my meals in Japan was that much easier. It could well be the case that in certain developed cities machines maybe cheaper than labour, and the value-added reliability and automation could prove this a worthwhile trade. If these cities have a combine population of over 100 million, say, then, oh, that's almost the size of Japan... In many restaurants, business is just too good, and logistics terrible. A quick search on Alibaba.com yields no such product in the market place. I haven't seen it in my travels in China either.

By the way, if you've not heard of Alibaba, perhaps you'd be interested in taking a look. It's a Chinese phenomon and success that's proving America's Ebay has no place in China. Alibaba will be the 'Ebay' for Ebay Vendors. And Jack Ma the CEO is the idol of all Chinese entrepreneurs around the world.