Vending machine for dispensing packaged products, each one of said packaged products having opposed edge holding portions , said vending machine having a housing which comprises: - a collection zone for a dispensed packaged product ; - a store structure for storing at least one vertical stack of gravity lowered packaged products , each vertical stack of gravity lowered packaged products defining a longitudinal axis; - a dispensing mechanism for supporting a corresponding stack of gravity lowered packaged products and dispensing the lowermost packaged product of said stack; the dispensing mechanism comprising at least two retention units arranged on opposite sides of the vertical stack, each retention unit having a retention position for interfering with an edge holding portion of the lowermost packaged product of the stack and a dispensing position for releasing said edge holding portion of said lowermost packaged product ; the vending machine further comprising a control unit configured to drive the retention units from the retention position to the dispensing position and to return the retention units to the retention position from the dispensing position once at least said lowermost packaged product of the stack has fallen by gravity; each retention unit comprising a support body , a movable element and a dispense actuator for moving the movable element from a retention position to a dispensing position and vice versa; characterized in that each movable element is configured to move from the retention position to the dispensing position following a backwards movement along a linear path, and to move from the dispensing position to the retention position following an advance movement along the linear path. - a collection zone for a dispensed packaged product ; - a store structure for storing at least one vertical stack of gravity lowered packaged products , each vertical stack of gravity lowered packaged products defining a longitudinal axis; - a dispensing mechanism for supporting a corresponding stack of gravity lowered packaged products and dispensing the lowermost packaged product of said stack; the dispensing mechanism comprising at least two retention units arranged on opposite sides of the vertical stack, each retention unit having a retention position for interfering with an edge holding portion of the lowermost packaged product of the stack and a dispensing position for releasing said edge holding portion of said lowermost packaged product ; the vending machine further comprising a control unit configured to drive the retention units from the retention position to the dispensing position and to return the retention units to the retention position from the dispensing position once at least said lowermost packaged product of the stack has fallen by gravity; each retention unit comprising a support body , a movable element and a dispense actuator for moving the movable element from a retention position to a dispensing position and vice versa; characterized in that each movable element is configured to move from the retention position to the dispensing position following a backwards movement along a linear path, and to move from the dispensing position to the retention position following an advance movement along the linear path. <EOS>