Modest sales of the Dash Button device during its introductory year in 2015 have given way to a landslide of purchases, as 2016 registered a stagger 650% rise in its sales. 2017, however, has seen Amazon build on the Dash to further interweave consumers’ homes with its own smart home technology. The armoury of smart home devices offered by the mammoth e-commerce retailer breed a trusting and deep relationship between the company and its consumers, as Amazon becomes more integrated into the everyday life of each customer. But what is so innovative about the Amazon’s Dash?
Making Things Simpler
The Amazon Dash Button is straightforward device. The Dash is a simple, small plastic “button” that is connected to the consumer’s Amazon account via their home Wi-Fi channel. Pressing the button instantly makes an order of an assigned product through Amazon’s website. Each Dash Button is assigned to one product and can be placed or stuck to almost anything.
For example, the Dash button for Finish Washing Detergent can be stuck on to the dishwasher so that consumers can very easily order more detergent when their own has run out. There are buttons for drinks, foods, medicines and more; a button for almost anything that can be bought on Amazon’s e-commerce store. There is no hassle or no fuss, just a simple pressing of a button. Orders can be cancelled for up to 30 minutes they have been processed.
While the Dash may look humble, there is a reason it has found a place in Retail Insider’s Digital Retail Innovation Report 2017. Amazon’s tongue-in-cheek retro-futurist Dash presentation video cuts to the heart of the device’s appeal; it is realising vintage Sci-Fi’s notion of a brighter, better, easier future that technology has enabled. With only a touch of a button, the shopping is done. For consumer ease, there are few more innovative devices.
Cornering the Field
As Webloyalty’s The Unfaithful Customer Report states, “the world is a consumers oyster.” E-commerce has offered a vast array of information and choice to the consumer, weakening brand loyalty as prices rise and fall. Amazon’s Dash Button device cleverly counteracts this trend. With a single button for each single brand, the incredible convenience that the Dash offers means users are likely to stick to what they know.
In fact, with such high levels of convenience – consumers can shop without having to think about it – Amazon also pleases the shoppers who want a hassle-free and easy customer experience; the Practically Motivated Shopper.
As with many items on the Digital Retail Report 2017, convenience for the customer is the Dash’s driving notion.
A Brighter Future?
In achieving the retro sci-fi dream with the Dash Button, Amazon has continued the retail trend of digitizing home services. With a growing Internet of Things, this trend is set to continue. Amazon’s web of smart home devices are becoming part of consumers’ daily lives and so the company’s future looks set for the long-term.