Where to find quirky vending machine malls in Singapore

If you've run out of nail polish and have no time to go to a salon to get your nails done, these days you can get a bottle of nail polish straight from a vending machine.

Lucky for students at Singapore Polytechnic, there's one such machine right at their doorstep at their Dover campus.

Vending machine clusters (not just standalone ones) are on the rise in Singapore, dispensing anything from clothes to sanitary napkins and magazines are readily accessible at malls, petrol kiosks or even HDB void decks.

Although it is a relatively new concept here compared to Japan, these clusters of vending machines are slowly getting popular as they are a more convenient option to get a meal or an emergency item at any time of the day.

To make things even more convenient, these vending machines are also equipped with touchscreens and cashless payment modes so that customers don't have to bring along cash and heavy coins.

To save you the trouble, we've rounded up five vending machine clusters or 'malls' where you can get everything from food to apparels and beauty products. Scroll down to check out if they are located near you.

SP InnoMall

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Located at Singapore Polytechnic, the SP InnoMall has machines offering a wide variety of products from nail polish to snacks imported from South Korea. There's even a magazine vending machine where you can get copies of Her World for your reading pleasure.

This vending machine 'mall' concept is an initiative by the school's Business Innovation Centre that aims to encourage SMEs to try new technologies while developing learning opportunities for students.

Where: Singapore Polytechnic

JCube #PlayatJCube The Corner

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JCube recently launched their self-service lifestyle zone, #PlayatJCube The Corner, which houses 19 vending machines that allows customers to purchase hot meals from Chef-in-Box, apparels and knick-knacks.

A mini karaoke recording studio that can accommodate two people at a time is available for those who want to sing in a private environment without spending too much money on karaoke as well. Who knew karaoke sessions could be dispensed?

After which, you can keep a memory of it by downloading a copy of your song performance for free via the QR code generated after the session.

Where: JCube

SPH Buzz hybrid convenience store

It's common to see SPH Buzz stores at bus stops but this one in particular includes attended and unattended retail counters. In partnership with Mastercard, unmanned machines at the store are integrated with Mastercard's mobile commerce platform which enables customers to seamlessly pay for their food via their smart devices. Feeling the hunger pangs on your way home? Just drop by this fuel kiosk to refuel your tummy and skip the queues.

Where: Cnergy Gas Station along Toh Tuck Road

Chef-in-Box VendCafe

Starving in the middle of the night? If you live near a Chef-in-Box VendCafe, you're in luck. With a huge selection of read-to-eat meals of different cuisines, sandwiches and freshly-squeezed juice to choose from, your options are endless. Alternatively, you can buy a frozen meal from the vending machine and save it for your next meal.

Where: 320C Anchorvale Drive, Ang Mo Kio MRT Station, Lakeside MRT Station

VendMart

Hypermarket Giant sure knows how to keep their customers coming back for more. Their VendMart situated at Tampines and IMM offers hot meals, gardening kits and even apparels like headscarves. They have also created their own "mystery box" vending machine where customers can stand a chance to get an iPhone 8 amongst other goodies.

Where: Giant Tampines, Giant IMM

This article was first published in Her World Online