Amazon has launched a new barcode scanner device, called ‘dash’, that lets users scan and orders groceries from the comfort of their kitchen.
Launching as part of the online retail giant’s new ‘Fresh’ pantry service in California and Seattle, the ‘Dash’ device aims to speed up online shopping (and get people spending more online in the process).
The Dash is available for free on an invite-only program for Amazon Fresh customers. It connects to a smartphone or laptop via Bluetooth, with a built-in barcode scanner and microphone.
Users scan barcodes of items that are running low in cupboards or fridges, or use voice commands to add goods to an online shopping list. Each scanned or spoken item is automatically added to the customer’s basket on Amazon Fresh. Users then checkout using the Amazon Fresh site on a laptop or via an app.
Although Amazon has not revealed when its Fresh service will be rolled out globally, Amazon’s UK vice president Doug Gurr said in February: ‘We don’t publish forward strategy plans but history would suggest that once we roll out something across North America, typically that leads to international expansion.’
In addition to groceries, Amazon Fresh sells a total of 500,000 items including electronics, household tools, software, games and entertainment.
The Amazon Dash tool complements Amazon’s Flow app that launched in February. Flow uses augmented reality to help people discover information about items around them.
Watch this promo video showing how the service works below:
