There are some things that we feel we are constantly putting on our shopping lists then forgetting to buy – washing powder, toilet roll, dog food – those dull household necessities. Amazon thinks it can help the forgetful and/or lazy among us by semi-automating puchases and deliveries of certain household items.
After initially launching in the US, Amazon Dash has now arrived in the UK, meaning you can stock up on lots of things at the push of a button. A good tactic from Amazon to solidify its stronghold on its Prime customers and secure themselves an extra slice of the household goods market.
To begin with, there are 40 branded buttons available for the UK market, which cost £4.99 to buy, but come loaded with £4.99 worth of credit for the first order. We’ve all been using Amazon’s One-click buying online for years, so what we are seeing here is the natural step on from that where we don’t even need to be near a computer or smartphone to make your one-push purchase. Each button is connected to an Amazon account, making it a completely hassle-free purchase.
Household names among the initial 40 brands participating in Amazon Dash’s rollout include Brita, Andrex, Durex, Ariel, Gillette, Huggies, Pedigree, Right Guard and, put this button out of the kids’ reach: Play-doh!
It remains to be seen whether the UK will fall in love with the Dash button, especially since at the time of pushing the consumer has no idea of what the current selling price of said item is on Amazon, and therefore could be paying well over the odds for everyday purchases.
Add to this the environmental impact of each small item in your home being delivered individually rather than in a supermarket home delivery or trip to the local shops, and that for the time being, products available are limited to a small selection, and you have to put up with having brand’s logos littered around your home, we’re sure there must be another way to do connected home and simple online shopping.