IoT-Powered Amazon Dash Buttons And APIs Arrive In The UK

Amazon Dash buttons are now available in the UK, allowing Amazon Prime customers to order selected items and have them delivered within 24 hours with just one push.

Each button is specific to a single product and Amazon has signed up 40 launch partners for the UK, including Andrex, Gillette and Durex. Buttons are attached to a device, such as a dishwasher, and connected via a mobile application and a Wi-Fi connection.

Once an order is placed, users receive a notification and customers can review their orders before delivery. A button costs £4.99, although customers do receive the same amount off their first order.

Amazon Dash

“We’ve all experienced the frustration of running out of something we need—Dash Button and Dash Replenishment Service are designed to make that moment a thing of the past,” said Daniel Rausch, Director of Amazon Dash. “Dash Buttons offer the convenience of 1-Click shopping from anywhere in the home—they can be placed near those frequently used items you don’t want to run out of, and when you see supplies running low, the Dash Button makes it easier than ever to order more.”

Amazon Dash was first made public in the US on 1 April 2015, causing many to suspect the idea was a joke. However Amazon says Dash orders have risen by a third in the past two months and now there are two every minute. The company claims adoption in 2016 has been four times faster than in 2015.

The motivation for Amazon is simple as it the use of such buttons locks customers into the Amazon ecosystem and encourages them to buy more household items, including those they may have traditionally bought at a supermarket, on its platform and boost Amazon Prime subscriptions.

Alongside the buttons, Amazon is also making Dash Replenishment Service (DRS), a set of APIs that allow manufacturers to include Dash buttons into their products, available to third parties. For example, Grundig washing machines and Samsung printers will support Dash, expanding the potential customer pool for Amazon even further.

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