PURPOSE: To always store at least a set quantity of commodities in an automatic vending machine by providing a transferring device which transfers commodities from a stocking machine to the upper section of the automatic vending machine and a distributing device which distributes commodities from the transferring device to aimed commodity storing sections.

CONSTITUTION: At the time of replenishing an automatic vending machine with commodities, plural kinds of commodities are randomly thrown into the machine from a commodity supplying port 22. The commodity group is carried to a distributing device 35 after being received by a commodity receiving device 26 and supplied to the starting ends of commodity stocking sections 30. As a result, each commodity stocking section 30 is replenished with a prescribed quantity of commodity. When the stock in the commodity storing section 4 of the automatic vending machine becomes less than a set quantity, it is detected and a transferring and distributing devices 45 and 60 are actuated. Namely, commodities are transferred from the commodity stocking section 30 to the vending machine by means of the device 45. The transferred commodities are distributed by the device 60 and supplied to their commodity storing sections 4 from the top.