Amazon adds even more Dash Buttons (stupid or smart?)

Buttons, buttons, everywhere. Seriously, they’re everywhere

So let’s see if I get this: Say my wife needs more Starbucks DoubleShots, or I just have to have a bag of Doritos or a can of Peet’s Coffee or any one of 100 or so other items, I can just click the Amazon Dash Buttons which I’ll have conveniently located all over my house because apparently I need one Dash Button for each item. Every single item. And now, Amazon has expanded their program to include 100 more brands:

I click the button, it is automatically ordered and it gets delivered without me having to pick up a smartphone, laptop, tablet, computer, smart watch, or anything. Why this is more important and convenient than hoping on my bike and riding to Walmart and making a purchase is beyond me (or just visiting the Amazon site since I’m already on a browser all day).

But in the spirit of my home becoming smarter and me having one less reason to get off the couch, I guess I’ll buy into the concept. For the purpose of this piece, let’s suspend belief…

How the Amazon Dash Buttons work

Amazon Dash Button is a wifi connected device that reorders your favorite product with the press of a button. Each Dash Button is paired with a product of your choice, which is selected during the set-up process. When you’re running low, simply press Dash Button – ensuring you never run out of your essentials again.

Says Amazon, “Prime members never have to worry about running out of everyday household essentials from coffee to condoms, and snacks to soda. When a customer sees supplies running low, they simply press a Dash Button to order.” And again, call me silly, but if a condom is needed – and I’m thinking if someone needs one, it must be urgent – someone’s going to tap a Amazon Dash Button?

Show me the money

Comments Daniel Rausch, Director of Amazon Dash to BusinessWire, “Prime members are using Dash Buttons at an increasing rate: Over the last three months, Dash Button orders have grown by more than 75%. Customers are using Dash Buttons more than once a minute, helping ensure they never run out of their everyday essentials.”

Dash Buttons are available to Prime members essentially for free with the first order through a Dash Button; members receive an equivalent credit to their Amazon account.

At the touch of a button

When a customer is running low on one of their everyday essentials, they can simply press a Dash Button to automatically reorder the item at the same low prices they find sold by Amazon online and with free Prime shipping. Customers receive a notification with every order and can change the product purchased through their Dash Button anytime.

While the thought of endless little branded buttons all over my house makes my head spin, perhaps this is just step one of a bigger picture – a new dishwasher was introduced last year that had Dash Buttons for soap built into the device, so perhaps some day they’ll be baked into our devices and appliances naturally as part of our smarthomes.

So the verdict? I don’t know if makes my home smarter or me dumber. Now excuse me while I tap out an order of Mucinex.

#DashButtons