When Amazon first announced March 31, 2015, that Amazon Prime members could easily reorder household items and pantry staples from the ecommerce website without actively going online but rather simply by pushing a small, real-life wifi enabled button that was brand and product specific and could be kept anywhere in the home or office, most people assumed the concept was an early April Fool’s Day joke.
Once critics realized the buttons were real, many still doubted that consumers would buy the buttons and use them to reorder products they use on a regular basis.
But just as they were wrong about the buttons being a joke, they also were wrong in their assessment that the buttons would fail as illustrated by the retailer’s recent announcement that orders from Amazon Dash buttons are up five times in the last year.
Amazon adds that the program has been so successful for some products that orders via Dash Button now occur more often than orders on the Amazon.com website.
Dash program to expand to more than 60 new brands
Building on this success, the retailer is expanding the Dash Button program to include more than 60 new brands -- bringing the total number of products available via the service up to more than 200, according to Amazon.
Many of the additions are popular food and beverage products from well-known legacy brands, such as Airheads confections, Diet Coke, Cheez-It, Cafe Bustelo, Pop-Tarts and Powerade. But the service isn’t limited to big players. It also includes newer launches from well established firms and startups alike, including Barnana, Krave Jerky and Perky Jerky, according to the retailer.
Among the manufacturers launching Dash Buttons in late October is Amazing Grass, which sells powdered superfood and protein powder blends for an extra nutritional boost.
Ryan Therriault, the company’s VP of marketing and innovation, says Amazing Grass launched an Amazon Dash Button as a way to put “convenience at our customers’ fingertips, allowing them to reorder their favorite green superfood products instantaneously.”
Convenience at the touch of a button
He explained that Amazing Grass has noticed an increase in consumers’ e-commerce purchasing behavior and he believes “by capitalizing on this new technology, we are streamlining our farm-to-home promise and providing people with an effortless way to stock up on our healthy, plant-based products at their convenience, wherever they shop.”
He added that even though the Amazing Grass Dash Button has only been available for one month, “We anticipate that its launch will increase sales due to the in-home convenience the device offers, giving customers the ease of ordering our products in real time with a simple click.”
In addition, he says he believes the button will drive repeat purchase and boost loyalty.
These expectations are not out of the realm of reality given the success experienced by other brands.
According to Reynolds Consumer Products, orders for Hefty now occur more often via Dash Buttons than on the Amazon.com website. Similarly, Peet’s Coffee reports a significant number of Amazon orders for its products now are placed with a Dash Button.