Amazon Planning Another Dash Forward

amazon dash selectionAmazon is reportedly planning another wave of releases for its Dash connected commerce product as it partners with more brands in an attempt to attract additional consumers to adopting the smart home button system.

According to the Wall Street Journal, which cites both documents and people familiar with the matter, the internet retailer will announce dozens of new brands and products that will be available via Dash buttons later this week.

While there has been no confirmation of which brands are likely to be added in this latest wave of additions, the expansion comes less than three months after Amazon tripled the Dash line, taking the number of products available to over 100 and adding partners including Starbucks, Energiser, Doritos and Charmin.

Despite the rapidly growing lineup of brands available using the smart home devices, consumer response has been mixed. The devices, which were famously launched on 1 April 2015, were initially believed to be a prank by some reporters due to the timing, and a report from Slice Intelligence released in March showed that less than 50 per cent of those who bought the buttons ever actually placed an order using them.

The Dash buttons represent two of Amazons current strategies coming together: the continued push into the FMCG and grocery market, and the increased reliance on Prime members, expanding the services available to them in the hope of driving higher spending. Whether or not the Dash system succeeds will largely be down to whether or not both these approaches prove to be wise.

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