What looks like a village shop, works like a village shop but isn’t a village shop? Well, it you’re in Clifton in Derbyshire then the answer is a giant vending machine, styled exactly like a village shop.
YouTube user TheModernIdiot made the discovery this week, posting a video of his discovery. A plaque on the shop proudly declares, “On this site the world’s first Speedy Shop opened for business 17 March 2014” and a quick search reveals the shop to be the work of Village Vending.
They explain, “The business started in 2011, originally as a mission to buck the trend of the constant demise of small village shops. Unable to find a suitable automated retailing solution, we designed our own machine – ‘The Speedy Shop’ from scratch in our manufacturing facility in Derbyshire.”
Already there are four Speedy Shops in Derbyshire. Next, the world? Maybe, but TheModernIdiot doesn’t sound too impressed by the idea.
“Village life will never be the same,” he says in his video, shaking his head wearily. “No village shop. There will be a self-service pub next with no barmaid where you just put the money in and vend yourself a pint of cold refreshing out.”