U.K. Retailer Fopp Testing Music Vending Machine

British independent retailer Fopp has begun a trial run of a CD vending machine it says is the first of its kind in the U.K. Fopp introduced the device, which can dispense about 40 titles, Monday at its flagship Scottish store on Glasgow's Union Street. CDs can be bought with cash or credit cards.

The initial selections--mostly Sony product--are priced at about £5 ($7.95). A Fopp spokesman says the pricing will change in the coming weeks, when the machines begin offering the retailer's top-selling albums, including titles by Coldplay and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Starting Sunday at midnight, the machine will hold only Blur's "Think Tank" for 24 hours, the first day of the Parlophone album's release.

Depending on the success of the Glasgow project, the machines will likely be tested at two other sites next year before rolling out to all 14 Fopp outlets.