The invention provides a method and system for managing commodities in a self-service vending machine. The method comprises the following steps that a bar code, production date and validity period ofeach commodity to be placed into the self-service vending machine are scanned and uploaded to a background management system; the types and names of the scanned commodities and the number of certain commodities are counted, and the commodities with the same name are distributed according to the sequence of validity periods; whether the validity periods of the commodities in the self-service vending machine are shorter than 7 days or not is judged; if yes, the commodities are reported to the background management system; the background management system conducts low-price promotion or recyclingon the soon-to-expire commodities; whether the number of the commodities with the same name is smaller than 3 or not is judged; if yes, the number is reported to the background management system; thebackground management system notifies workers to perform commodity replenishment. According to the method and the device, the soon-to-expire commodities can be placed at preferential vending positions, and the workers can be conveniently notified to supplement the commodities in time; meanwhile, the commodities which are easy to sell can be predicted, and the varieties of goods to be sold can beconveniently adjusted.