Amazon’s Build It program includes cuckoo clock, smart scale and printer

Amazon on Wednesday announced a new program called Build It, which allows consumers to give their opinions about some of the products that Amazon will produce.

In an effort similar to Kickstarter, Amazon customers can choose to support a new product, and if it receives enough support in 30 days, Amazon will build it. Customers will be charged only if the product is developed and shipped.

The program should help Amazon decide which products will be popular before they are even created. Amazon has used a similar program in the past, called Day 1 Editions, to build experimental products like its Echo Frames smart glasses. Amazon did not say whether it plans to use this program for all of its products or whether it can open it to third-party inventors.

Amazon Build It starts with three concepts: a $ 89.99 sticky note printer, a $ 34.99 smart nutrition scale and a $ 79.99 cuckoo clock. Customers who support a product receive a pre-order discount. The price will increase if it is widely available.

In recent years, Amazon has launched a lot of wild products with built-in Alexa, ranging from microwaves to wall clocks and glasses. Many of these products have not taken off, and the Build It program is a way for Amazon to gauge customer interest in one of its ideas before it goes into full production.

The printer works with Alexa and uses thermal technology instead of ink to print short sticky note reminders. The scale can tell you how many calories there are in specific foods. The cuckoo clock has Amazon Alexa integrated and a pop-out mechanical cuckoo bird.

Amazon said it will not say how much money a specific product needs to launch. It will show a progress bar that shows how far a product is and a percentage of the support it needs to complete.

The current concepts will be available at discounted prices until March 19th. Amazon said more ideas are coming.