Amazon Dash - Grocery shopping of the future

[mrtofu]

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[Langin]

What the heck?! o_o I mean whats the problem with going to a store and buy shit there? It's way faster and more fun to do as well. Maybe if you are really old this is 'perfect'.(If you don't hate electronics) But this get's my vote of worst invention of the year. Also isn't this super expensive?

 

[mrtofu]

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[Langin]

The device is free for beta testers. I hear Amazon Fresh PRIME is $299/year while you can still get free shipping for $35+ (Super saving shipping.)

I took a look at the products at Amazon, aren't those way too expensive..? I mean I don't care about the device itself to be honest, since everything costs something and this is brand new tech. Are groceries really that expensive in the US..?

 

[Hells Malice]

I took a look at the products at Amazon, aren't those way too expensive..? I mean I don't care about the device itself to be honest, since everything costs something and this is brand new tech. Are groceries really that expensive in the US..?

This isn't really for poor people, as mean as that may be to say. Services like this actually already do exist and cost quuuite a pretty penny.
It's just for convenience. The video advertises it extremely poorly because I would personally use this service to buy things BEFORE i'm in need of them. If you buy two weeks worth of groceries and they're delivered in a day, you can easily order two more weeks before those are done.
I'm not sure how shopping could be considered fun, but hey whatever floats your boat. I order things from futureshop all the time and I have one literally 5 minutes driving distance from me because shipping is free so you bet I wont get off my ass to go get an item when i can just buy it and have it delivered directly to me.

If I could afford this (and it wouldn't take 10+ years for this to exist in Canada, and in my area) I would definitely use it. That would be amazing.

 

[Langin]

This isn't really for poor people, as mean as that may be to say. Services like this actually already do exist and cost quuuite a pretty penny.
It's just for convenience. The video advertises it extremely poorly because I would personally use this service to buy things BEFORE i'm in need of them. If you buy two weeks worth of groceries and they're delivered in a day, you can easily order two more weeks before those are done.
I'm not sure how shopping could be considered fun, but hey whatever floats your boat. I order things from futureshop all the time and I have one literally 5 minutes driving distance from me because shipping is free so you bet I wont get off my ass to go get an item when i can just buy it and have it delivered directly to me.

If I could afford this (and it wouldn't take 10+ years for this to exist in Canada, and in my area) I would definitely use it. That would be amazing.

But isn't it lazy..? I mean I have the money to buy such a system and use it, but it could be my inner Dutch person though, thinking that I need some movement daily/weekly/whatever. Shopping is not the most fun thing on this world, I understand that but it IS a social interaction as well which is really good for old people, the real nerds and all those other people who barely have contact with people outside of the people they speak everyday. Walking to the store everyday(my local grocery store is like 10 minutes in a slow tempo) so it's some neat movement for those old people sitting in their chair doing nothing all day. As you might notice I mostly think about old people but we are old too in the future... ;A;

 

[FAST6191]

So a small embedded device, or presumably an online application, is supposed to account for all the various accents..... somehow I find that less believable than drones.

However it will face the same problems I have with regular online grocery shopping (which is already commonplace, and if you count the phone in stuff has been around for decades) -- not only do I like to squeeze fruit before I commit to paying for it but I also would miss out on new things and deals.

Keep reaching Amazon, you might get there one day.

 

[Veho]

So a small embedded device, or presumably an online application, is supposed to account for all the various accents..... somehow I find that less believable than drones.

I just assumed the thingamajig sent the voice recording to the regional Amazon centre as a voicemail,where it's interpreted by real live people. The same people that handle packaging and sorting and stuff in the distribution centre.

What bugged me was the lack of specifics. "Apples"? Which of the one million combinations of variety and producer do you want, dammit? "Guitar strings"? Hah, good one.


EDIT: Come to think of it, maybe the answer is much simpler. The thing might just let you record reminders for later, a voice shopping list if you will.

 

[Depravo]

What bugged me was the lack of specifics. "Apples"? Which of the one million combinations of variety and producer do you want, dammit?

I also wondered about that. Will she get two or two hundred? Or a case full of iDevices™?

 

[FireGrey]

But isn't buying groceries on amazon ridiculously overpriced?

 

[Guild McCommunist]

For the record online food shopping has been a thing for a while now.

I work at a local grocery store and we do offer online shopping. It's not the most common thing but there's usually like an order a week, and this is for a relatively small town.

My whole store's shtick is "customer service" which means that basically we cater to the elderly. We all dress nicely (dress code for guys is a white button-down collared shirt, tie, and black slacks as well as the work vest or sweater), there's always someone to bag your groceries, we have to greet everyone, etc. So when old people have a hard time moving around and stuff, they can go online, put in an order, and then we do the shopping, bag it, and bring it out to your car.

On the flip side, my dad is in his mid-40s now and lives in NYC and he buys a lot of regular products from Amazon. Like anything from shampoo to paper towels. He has Amazon Prime and for him it's just a lot more convenient to order something that's not needed immediately like paper towels and have them arrive two days later. Since parking is always a pain in the city and the closest full service grocery store is about a mile away, it helps fill out what he needs between buying things at local stores.

And pricing usually isn't that bad, my mom used to buy my deodorant in bulk on Amazon for a pretty good price. Plus they'll incorporate more prices, coupons, etc with this.

Seems a bit silly but it's really not too bad.

 

[mightymuffy]

What the heck?! o_o I mean whats the problem with going to a store and buy shit there? It's way faster and more fun to do as well.

HA! My arse it is..... when you're a bit older, with screaming, moaning kids, online shopping is a godsend! Personally I use Tesco, and if this comes to the UK soon, even with that fancy barcode reader (yeah the voice part is just silly if you ask me), I'll still use Tesco.... Order on a friday night, get the stuff delivered sometime on a saturday, whatever suits me best, delivered to my door - worth every penny! I'll only go to the actual store for bits...

Also my mum is old. And too disabled to either walk or drive. Now according to you she should still make her way down to the shops coz she needs social interaction?? Quality - you're clearly a teenager so I'll let you off. Doesn't really work like that for everyone pal...

 

[Langin]

HA! My arse it is..... when you're a bit older, with screaming, moaning kids, online shopping is a godsend! Personally I use Tesco, and if this comes to the UK soon, even with that fancy barcode reader (yeah the voice part is just silly if you ask me), I'll still use Tesco.... Order on a friday night, get the stuff delivered sometime on a saturday, whatever suits me best, delivered to my door - worth every penny! I'll only go to the actual store for bits...

Also my mum is old. And too disabled to either walk or drive. Now according to you she should still make her way down to the shops coz she needs social interaction?? Quality - you're clearly a teenager so I'll let you off. Doesn't really work like that for everyone pal...

I am a teenager yes, but I would be hypocrite if I said EVERYONE needs to walk, etc. My mom soon won't be able to do those things like a small groceries here and there either. This would be perfect of course, but it seriously is unneeded for those who can walk, and do what they please. And we have multiple solutions for people who can't walk, drive, etc.(At least here in the Netherlands we do)

I am inspired by my granddad, he is 91 years old, RUNS(YES SERIOUS) 4 days a week for like 30 minutes, goes to the gym and all. If you are healthy enough you don't need this thing. It's just to make money off and get people buying over-expensive food which can also be bought at local stores which can deliver too.(To give you an example, Dutch brand Albert Hein, can deliver your groceries at home if you wish to.)

 

[the_raging_snorlax]

I shop at my local grocer and farmers market. This device looks cool, but for me would be next to useless. Theres a supermarket about 5 minutes walking distance from where I live for purchasing non-food items. I enjoy the exercise walking there and back so I wouldn't get this device if it were free.

 

[nando]

we have several online grocery systems in the bay area. i friend of mine uses it all the time. around here it does save you a lot of time. going to a grocery store, fighting traffic, finding parking, etc. groceries can eat up your free time for the day.

a lot of people around here don't drive and lugging groceries in a bus is pretty shitty. i remember i used to never buy liquids because they were too heavy to carry home.

with that said. i don't care for this service.

 

[TyBlood13]

up next on how to never leave your house......

 

[FAST6191]

up next on how to never leave your house......

You must be watching the discovery channel version where they come in 5 years after the pros already have the market sewn up.

 

[Ergo]

I'm 'old' (well, old compared to the average zygote swimming 'round these parts), but if this saves me time*, something people *my age* have very little of, then I'm all for it, even if it costs 10% more than running down to the market (which is a 90-minute affair where I live, between the drive and the actual shopping).

Hell, as other people noted, I'm already buying bulk stuff from Amazon, so why not get it all, if you can. (Alas, I can't, based on geography, but the second *anyone* offers this service locally, I am *all* over it.)

*I have to laugh at the teens on-thread accusing people of laziness! I remember being a teen, a million years ago, and boy do I miss having lots of time to actually do things that don't involve being a semi-responsible adult (Yeah, sure, I know: you're super busy texting and hanging out on GBATemp which, like, eats up your whole day--life is hard for teenagers in the West!). You guys tossing off "laziness" are *clueless* and have no idea how life without mom and dad actually is...but you'll learn, in the fullness of time.

 

[lismati]

Oh shit, I've run out of toilet paper, better shout at the top of my lungs so that Amazon brings me some tomorrow.

I get you can manage that with products that aren't so necessary, but advertising this whole thing with milk and chocolate chips is dumb.

We've ran out of milk, Sarah, no breakfast for you today, go to school and thank amazon on the way, they made my life so much easier.

Also, child voicing the commercial is just a cheap play on emotions.

 

[tickle.my.pickle]

Hikikomori dream... its finally happening... *cries