Amazon retires 'Dash' buttons for home shopping
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Amazon will no longer sell “Dash” devices that allowed customers to re-order supplies of common household items with the push of a button, according to a report.
The e-commerce giant launched “Dash” buttons in 2015 and eventually sold the $5 devices for hundreds of products, such as Tide laundry detergent or Bounty paper towels. Once a customer ran out of a particular item, they could push their “Dash” button and Amazon would send a new shipment. The company would refund the $5 purchase cost with the first order.
As Amazon focuses on its “Alexa” voice assistant platform and other connected home devices, the company will no longer offer the “Dash” buttons, CNET reported last week. However, virtual buttons will still be available on Amazon’s website, and the company will continue to provide support for physical buttons for as long as customers continue to use them.
"We never imagined a future where customers had 500 buttons in their home," Rausch said. "We imagined a future where the home was taking care of itself, including replenishing everyday items that customers would rather not worry about."
Amazon has emphasized connected home offerings in recent years as a core element of its business. The company’s “Echo Dot” and “Fire Stick” devices come equipped with the “Alexa” voice assistant, and it also sells “Ring” smart doorbells and home security devices.
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Rausch told CNET that its virtual “Dash” buttons and voice shopping offerings on connected home products have become more popular in recent years.