Amazon is launching a pilot user trial for its impending Amazon Dash barcode scanner device that promises to make grocery shopping at its AmazonFresh site easier and faster than ever.
The pilot is open to AmazonFresh shoppers living in Southern California, San Francisco, possibly Seattle and Los Angeles.
A quick glimpse at Amazon's promotional Dash message launched this weekend shows a 6-inch stick, using Wi-Fi to access a Web ordering form, that lets shoppers scan a grocery item's SKU or verbally state the item.
For a closer look you can check out the YouTube video Amazon produced about Dash. Right now the Dash is only being tested via the AmazonFresh grocery service but the massive e-tailer says it will be able to handle 5,000 Amazon items. AmazonFresh is only operating in California and Washington.
The new shopping product comes as Amazon is very busy also promoting its new Fire TV service and slicing costs of its Amazon Web Services due to increasing competition in the cloud marketplace. The Fire TV is Amazon's first-ever set-top box and is selling for $99. Check out this TechTimes article to see how it compares to some big name competitors.
In a short and succinct messaging campaign, here's how Amazon is describing Dash:
"Amazon Dash is an easy-to-use shopping device that allows you, and your family, to effortlessly shop hundreds of thousands of items - ranging from groceries to household essentials - from anywhere in your home without having to browse the AmazonFresh website or app. Whether you are reading a recipe, cooking, or making a grocery list, add items to your Dash list in seconds by scanning a barcode or speaking into the device."
And what may likely become a marketing tag line: "Never forget an item again - Dash remembers so you don't have to."
And just to make sure that no users are left out once it goes into market, Amazon is offering Dash for the iPhone, Android handsets, through its Kindle Fire and even a desktop app. The Dash will let shoppers also reference past purchases, like Amazon's e-tail site does.
Barcode scanning in grocery shopping isn't exactly earth-breaking news as major grocers, including Stop & Shop, introduced the technology to shoppers in stores within the past few years.
By most accounts the scanners aren't very popular and often spend more time in the charging rack at the store's entrance than in shoppers' hands. While viewed as a good way to double check the price of an item and to keep track of the impending check-out bill for those on a tight budget, the devices have been criticized for being a bit bulky in size and complicating the checkout process for many shoppers.
