SAN DIEGO -- You can buy stamps, snacks and gumballs at a vending machine, but what if you could buy an iPod that way?

"We hope this is the future for retail. ATMs (changed banking by bringing) the convenience of 24 hour service to customers -- we're doing the same in retail with Zoom shops," said Zoom CEO Gower Smith.

"When I get my stuff, I have to pop into UTC. The lines are long and it's a pain, so if I could just bump in here why not?" said consumer Rebecca Speaks.

Forget about going to an electronics or discount store, you just need to go to your neighborhood grocery store.

"(We've gotten) positive feedback," said Wade Wilmoth, with Vons.

Zoom can monitor the sales online and know immediately when it's out of stock on an item.

The company can also remotely change the price of a product. It took four minutes for Zoom to lower the cost of the iPod shuffle when Apple slashed it to $69 in its stores.

The items in the vending machine range from $20 to $300, but not everybody can get used to the idea of spending that kind of money in a vending machine.

"I guess I can't wrap my mind around (putting) $200 in a vending machine. I'm old-fashioned I guess," said consumer Shawn Copeland.

There are three Zoom vending machines in San Diego County.

Zoom has 100 machines in six cities and some of them carry digital cameras and CDs.