Amazon UK customers can finally get their physical Dash instant purchase buttons in the country, making resupplying of nappies, dishwasher tablets, toilet roll and washing powder a breeze.
The wireless buttons are crafted so that customers simply push them to order a predetermined item, and they represent one way in which Amazon lures clients to its Prime subscription service.
A number of 40 branded buttons are available in the United Kingdom. The cost for each is £4.99 ($6.56), but the first order from customers gives them £4.99 in credit, making the first button purchase virtually free.
As the buttons are connected to a specific Amazon account, they allow all members of a household to instantly order replacement ranging from coffee to washing up liquid, to condoms and toothbrush heads.
Daniel Rausch, the leader of Amazon Dash, explains that the concept behind the buttons was to eliminate the tedious task of resupplying household items manually.
"We wanted to take the one-click experience from our website and put it right where people need it most, in the home," he says.
Should you wonder which brands you can order items from, read on.
The buttons come for a variety of products from names such as Wilkinson, Vanish, Rimmel, Right Guard, Regaine, Play-Doh, Pedigree, Olay, Nicorette, Nescafé, Nerf, Listerine, Huggies, Gillette, Finish, Fairy, Durex, Dettol, Cesar, Ariel, Andrex and Air Wick.
Here is the official list of all the Dash Buttons that are available now in the UK.
Behind the nifty little buttons sits Amazon's Dash Replenishment Service (DRS), a feature that can easily be embedded into smart products such as a Brita water Pitcher, enabling it to place orders for filters. It also plays nice with smart printers that can place orders for refills on ink cartridges.
Since its debut in March 2015, the service expanded its brand selection to more than 150. Since spring last year, DRS reached washing machines and a myriad of other household appliances.
Users can simply set up the buttons via Amazon's smartphone app (featuring iOS and Android support), with connection going to Bluetooth or ultrasonics.
When the button is pressed, the owner of the Amazon account receives a notification. This gives extra flexibility, as the quantity of the order can be modified or even cancelled. A helpful way to avoid duplicates comes from the fact that further button presses get ignored until the delivery of the first order takes place.
DRS integration is on tow for major household items manufacturers, such as Siemens and Bosch. Grundig's upcoming washing machines are also rumored to feature the integration for detergent orders. Whirlpool Sense Live will make it easy to order anti-bacterial filters, descaler, softener and detergent whenever you need them.
The Dash Buttons are signaling Amazon's strong interest in the next big technology space, the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT covers everything, from connected devices that automate the house lights to smart thermostats that save power by only activating the HVAC system when it detects human presence in the house.
Rausch points out that Dash is "a super accessible, practical, useful way to smarten up customers' homes," and a good example of how IoT can improve their daily lives.
