Amazon's Latest Invention: Smart Dash Buttons for Quick Purchases

To sell a lot is the primary goal of any merchant. And to sell not just a lot, but a whole lot consistently, one needs to help the buyer make purchases as quickly and easily as possible, simply by pressing a button. This was the logic that guided Amazon in creating its new invention - the "smart" Dash Buttons. These miniature devices allow for quick purchases of consumables like hygiene products, household chemicals, and similar items when they run out.

Dash Buttons come with an adhesive side, easily sticking to any smooth surface, for example, in close proximity to those very consumables. After pressing the button, a confirmation SMS is sent to your phone. The items ordered through these buttons are delivered by the company right to your doorstep in the shortest time. Convenient for buyers and brilliant for sellers, don't you think?

The unveiling of the invention coincided with the beginning of April, and many considered the news to be a hoax. Nevertheless, there's no joking around here - the buttons really work and can already be purchased by American users of Amazon Prime. Moreover, if you have one account, you get the first three buttons absolutely free.

How does it work? Each Dash Button is equipped with a Wi-Fi transmitter that connects the button to your smartphone, where the accompanying app is installed.

Currently, the Dash Buttons project has 18 partner companies. Each button is responsible for purchasing products of a specific brand. So, if you want to order laundry detergent, you'll need to buy "Tide," and if you run out of diapers, you'll receive "Huggies." But if you prefer products from other brands? Well, then, sorry - you'll have to head to the nearest store and buy the old-fashioned way.

At this stage, it's not yet clear if you can program the buttons yourself to purchase different items. However, it's certain that you can set a lock to prevent repeated purchases until the first one is delivered (to prevent multiple clicks, like by children). You can also cancel an order through the mobile app.

This is not the first time Amazon has tried to simplify the buyer's experience and increase sales volume. The first invention in this series was the Amazon Dash barcode scanner. As you can guess, with this device, the buyer scanned the code of the desired product and thus made a purchase. Another feature of this "smart" scanner was the option for voice input of data.

Alongside Dash Buttons, Amazon also announced a new project called the "Dash Replenishment Service." If the concept behind this platform proves successful enough, it could eliminate the need for buttons altogether. The secret lies here: manufacturers of products like coffee makers, washing machines, and dryers can embed Amazon's new technology directly into their products. Of course, not every product can accommodate this, for example, how would one link this to toothpaste or toilet paper? But developers are hopeful that the sensor sizes can be reduced enough to fit into any product.