Well, a vending machine would have limited inventory. Whereas you can buy a lot more stuff at a store. I was at Stockholm Centralstation and used the self-checkout there too -- it works fine if you have less than 5 items (which you typically would).

The Co-op grocery store in Stockholm Centralstation also has self-checkouts but it's self-checkout is a lot slower when you have 20-30 items in your cart, and you have to catch a train.

> a vending machine would have limited inventory. Whereas you can buy a lot more stuff at a store.

You bought one bottle of water. You're not benefiting from the store. The store owner isn't benefiting from you using his store instead of his vending machine. Store customers aren't benefiting from you using the store instead of the vending machine.

If it works in the Shanghai subway (daily ridership roughly ten times the population of Stockholm), it'll work in the Stockholm stations too.

I think you’re replying to the wrong person.

Also, people usually buy stuff like a drink, magazine, chewing gum, books, maybe other snacks from a store. Not sure how a single vending machine would be able to vend all that. And even if you could — I’ve seen Japanese vending machines — you’d only be able to carry a very small selection.

Can't argue with US it seems ;-)