A dispensing device of portable terminals for acquiring product data in a
shopping centre comprises a plurality of static cradles for a
corresponding plurality of portable terminals. The terminals are adapted
to be withdrawn and used by the customers for acquiring product data. The
dispenser has a customer verification unit which identifies each customer
enabled to the use of the portable terminals, a communication unit for
communicating to each identified customer a terminal to be withdrawn for
carrying out the product data acquisition, and a control and data
processing unit adapted to control the customer verification unit and the
communication unit and to process the product data acquired through said
terminals. The plurality of cradles is housed into a substantially flat
portion of the container provided in close proximity of the customer
identification means so as to allow access to the plurality of terminals.