Early in 2015 Amazon released a new product/service called Amazon Dash, which allows people to order products directly from their homes. Whenever a product, such as toilet paper or laundry detergent, is running low, the customer can order the product directly through Amazon by speaking, or scanning the item’s barcode, into a wand. Once ordered, the customer confirms the order in his/her Amazon account. Then the order arrives through the mail. I suppose one day we’ll be able to 3-D print it instead.
The Amazon Dash also comes as a button, instead of a wand. Each button is for one specific product. Amazon recommends putting the button next to product for re-ordering convenience. For example, the bathroom would have buttons for toothpaste and toilet paper. Never run out of tp again!
I can definitely see the appeal of Amazon Dash. By pushing a button, or waving a wand, my house could be turned into a grocery store. Amazing, creepy, and weird, all at the same time. I lived over 5 years in an apartment with a steep 3-floor walkup. I grew accustomed to picking up a few things daily, just to avoid carrying heavy loads up the stairs. Most of the time I didn’t mind. It allowed me to try a wide variety of things from different shopping areas around the city. I knew where to find the best of anything. I enjoyed seeing what was available.
Would Amazon Dash be able to cater to such specific, specialized grocers? Or would I be required to get all my specialty items from mega-suppliers? I did wonder about this and a few other things.
- What if I want to switch brands? Dash buttons are only for one product and come imprinted with the company logo.
- What about apartment dwellers? My building doesn’t accept packages. I have to retrieve packages from a busy post office with restricted hours, about 10-minutes away. Pretty inconvenient.
- How would I keep track of all the orders coming in? It can get confusing to keep track of so many orders, all arriving at different times. If I get everything from the grocery store, everything arrives at the same time
- How would you control annoying guests, like myself, or children, from pushing the dash buttons? It could become annoying to reject orders all the time.Amazon Dash, here to stay, or is this just the beginning…
