Smart Labels Take Reminders to the Next Level
Imagine you are down to the final sheets on your last roll of paper towels and instead of having to remember to purchase more during your next weekly trip to the grocery store, your paper towels, knowing supplies are low, automatically order more and have them delivered to your doorstep. This is the future a new start up Adrich is envisioning. The company produces smart labels featuring connected weight and movement sensors that measure how often a product such as paper towels or a carton of milk are being used and how much product is left. When the container is low, Adrich’s solution can automatically reorder the product- with the consumer’s consent.
The NPD Take:
- Solutions for replenishing consumer products in the home have been around for a long time. Amazon’s Dash buttons - which could be affixed anywhere in the house allowing consumers to press a button when they needed to replenish products such as laundry detergent - were among the first solutions.
- Today, consumers can simply voice a command to a digital assistant to add products to a shopping list. These solutions require more participation from consumers while Adrich’s service takes some friction out of the process.
SwitchBot Releases a $99 Lock
Smart lock sales have increased over the last two years and as the market grows, an increasing number of solutions are available. The SwitchBot Lock is a retrofit Bluetooth powered smart door lock that attaches to an existing deadbolt, taking out a considerable pain point for these products: the involved installation. In fact, SwitchBot’s solution is less a lock and more of a connected robotic thumb that will turn your lock when commanded to via the SwitchBot mobile app. SwitchBot’s lock works with every major digital assistant; however an additional hub (the SwitchBot Hub Mini) is required to connect the lock to Wi-Fi to make the integration. Options to add a keypad for entry exist but require an additional investment.
The NPD Take:
- The simplicity and low cost of the SwitchBot Lock will entice users to give the smart lock category a try. While the core product features are minimal, add-ons to the lock allow users to customize the product for their particular use case.
- The lock can affix to doors with non-traditional deadbolts (for example the SwitchBot Lock can be customized to turn a key that might be situated internally in a lock). While SwitchBot features a minimal mobile app, the lock can be controlled via Apple Watch App and NFC tags using a smartphone.