(Amazon Photo)

Amazon is killing off the small, plastic, WiFi-enabled Dash Buttons that let customers quickly restock items like laundry detergent, baby food, paper towels and more.

CNET reported Thursday that Amazon is no longer selling the physical buttons, primarily because the company’s shopping tech has made them no longer necessary. The intent behind Dash buttons, first released in 2015, was to remove the un-fun experience of shopping for common household items and bring a dash of IoT connectivity to appliances.

Since then, Amazon has introduced the Dash Replenishment program for appliances to automatically re-order items when supplies are low. Amazon also created a virtual version of the Dash Button on its website. Between those initiatives and voice shopping via Alexa, consumers today have a lot more options on Amazon for convenient shopping.

Amazon confirmed that it is no longer selling Dash Buttons, but the company has committed to continue fulfilling orders for existing Dash Button customers. Amazon said it will continue to grow the product line-up using Dash Replenishment and expand its virtual Dash Button offerings.

Amazon released the following statement on its decision to stop selling Dash Buttons:

Since the introduction of the Dash program, we’ve continued to work on making the shopping experience convenient and easy, and in some cases, even disappear for customers. With Dash Replenishment, we’ve launched hundreds of devices globally that automatically reorder essentials so customers don’t have to think at all about restocking. And we introduced virtual Dash Buttons, which are available digitally — whether online, in the Amazon App, through screened devices like Echo Show or on third party devices. We’ve also seen customers increasingly using programs like Alexa Shopping, which provides a hands free shopping experience, and Subscribe & Save, which lets customers automatically receive their favorite items every month. With this in mind, we’ve decided to shift the Dash program focus — as of February 28, Dash Button devices are no longer available for purchase on Amazon globally. Existing Dash Button customers can continue to use their Dash Button devices. We look forward to continuing support for our customers’ shopping needs, including growing our Dash Replenishment product line-up and expanding availability of virtual Dash Buttons.

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