Retractable gauge step for flexible multi-depth vending

The disclosed invention is a dispensing apparatus and method for dispensing product from a vending machine. In the present invention, the gauging portion of a product dispensing mechanism in a vending machine can be easily configured to accommodate the depth and number of products being dispensed without adding or removing parts, as required by existing product dispensing mechanisms. The present invention provides a sliding gauge step that can be easily extended or retracted to create or eliminate a product gauge step. Thus, the present invention avoids the use of removable parts, which are required in existing vending machines, to configure product dispensing assemblies to vend an array of products.