Offbeat Sheet: The Dash Wand

PReturn’s Offbeat Sheet examines some of the world’s most interesting technology, marketing and innovation stories. Often pushed quickly through the news cycle, we think they deserve more time in the spotlight.According to CNBC, online grocery sales are set to surge and will account for 20 percent of the grocery market by 2025. Even with Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go, Amazon recently made another big step into the ecommerce fresh foods market by unveiling a new Dash Wand.The new tool for consumers not only scans barcodes to help them reorder products; it also helps them discover products based on attributes (nut free, for example) and come up with new ways to use them (recipes, party planning, etc.).The Dash Wand is priced at $20, but essentially free to Amazon Prime subscribers, who receive a $20 credit in return. The Dash Wand is also magnetic, so it can attach to the fridge or hang on the wall from its included hook.According to one reviewer, Jeanna, the Dash Wand is… “Seriously the BEST INVENTION EVER! You can easily scan as you run out of things during the week and the items stay in your fresh cart until you are ready to put in your order … Whoever came up with this gadget should get a raise ... seriously life changing!”Grab yourself a few snacks with the Dash Wand like a modern-day wizard!