Amazon Dash Button: Instant ordering of home and kitchen goods

AMAZON has just released a product so mind-bendingly crazy that most people think it’s an April Fool’s joke. But is it a good idea?

EVER had those days when you run out of everything at the same time — coffee, toilet paper, rubbish bags — and wish you could just press a button to make them appear on your door step?

Well, that day is here, thanks to online giant Amazon, which yesterday released the Dash Button, an electronic device about the size of a packet of chewing gum that allows consumers to instantly order home and kitchen products.

Each one comes emblazoned with the brand of a different product and can be stuck anywhere around the home thanks to an adhesive strip on the back. Even more confronting, Amazon is working with companies to have the devices built in to appliances such as coffee makers and washing machines.

Press the button and the device uses Wi-Fi to send a message to your Amazon account, automatically ordering new stock of whatever you’re about to run out of.

Launched just 24 hours before April Fool’s Day, the Amazon Dash Button was initially dismissed as a joke, but the company has confirmed this product is very, very real.

Taking product placement to a whole new level: Amazon is working with household product manufacturers to get the Dash Button built in appliances.

The move looks set to boost Amazon’s supply of everyday products and comes a day after the online retail giant launched a wideranging services marketplace.

“When you’re running low, simply press Dash Button, and Amazon quickly delivers household favourites so you can skip the last-minute trip to the store,” the company says in a promotion to its Amazon Prime members.

Those who sign up will get a physical button which can be installed in a kitchen or elsewhere and be connected through a smartphone or home Wi-Fi network for orders.

Available products include nappies, toiler paper, razors, rubbish bags, cleaning supplies, baby formula and makeup.

Amazon says it will only deliver one order at a time, in the event a small child presses it accidentally (or not)

“Use the Amazon app on your smartphone to easily connect to your home Wi-Fi network and select the product you want to reorder with Dash Button,” Amazon said on its website.

“Once connected, a single press automatically places your order. Amazon sends an order alert to your phone, so it’s easy to cancel if you change your mind.”

Users can set the buttons via Amazon’s mobile shopping app to assign specific products and amounts they want to order per click.

That click also sends a message to a user’s phone, giving a 30 minute window to cancel the order, meaning, however many times an inquisitive toddler or pet might click the button, only one order will be sent at a time.

The service will debut on an invitation-only basis for some Amazon Prime members based in the US, but customers can request an invitation.

Amazon did not reveal the terms of the new delivery service, but it has launched one-hour deliveries in major cities in the United States for Prime members.

Google offers a service for same-day deliveries in a number of cities in partnership with retailers such as Costco, Whole Foods and Barnes & Noble, and a large number of start-ups offers fast deliveries for online or smartphone orders.

Amazon Home Services, which is being launched in major cities across the United States, includes businesses in diverse areas such as gardening, computer repair, and math or yoga instruction.

The new listings will connect consumers to “hand-picked pros offering upfront pricing on pre-packaged services with helpful reviews from customers that have made verified purchases”.

The moves further expand Amazon’s footprint from its origins as an online bookseller to purveyor of a vast array of goods and digital services, as well as online storage and website host.

Do you think the Amazon Dash Button is a good idea?