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Amazon debuts push-button service to make re-stocking super easy

Convenience is at the core of mega online retailer's re-order service.

July 30, 2015 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

Imagine sitting on the porcelain throne, realizing you’ve got enough paper to cover one more visit and hoping you’ll remember to pick some up on the way home from work. But the to-do list item is out of your brain by the time you're on the road to work.

Amazon wants to eliminate that scenario entirely with just one push of a button.

A ‘re-order’ button that one could, if so inclined, be placed strategically in the bathroom for just that sort of scenario.

No joke. That’s basically the quest of Amazon’s newly available Dash Button strategy – to help consumers order needed products as easy and as quickly as possible. The buttons are available for products across 10 departments, from toilet paper to baby care needs to pet food supplies.

For the small price of about $5 Amazon Prime members can order up one of a slew of ‘brand’ buttons that wirelessly place an order with just one fingertip tap via an Amazon smartphone app compatible with Android and iOS. The button sends an order alert to your phone to remind you of the purchase so there is a cancel option.

The convenience factor could spur consumer interest given recent industry reports that shoppers are getting more focused on quick and easy access to needed goods.

“Dash Button comes with a reusable adhesive and a hook so you can hang, stick, or place it right where you need it. Keep Dash Button handy in the kitchen, bath, laundry, or anywhere you store your favorite products. When you're running low, simply press Dash Button, and Amazon quickly delivers household favorites so you can skip the last-minute trip to the store,” Amazon stated in one button’s description.

Currently there are buttons for a slew of brands including Olay, Gillette, Huggies and Bounty.

In case of potential toddler interest, in which such a button may be pressed inadvertently or several times without adult shopper approval, there is an order protection feature that stops a new order until a previous order has shipped. This, obviously, eliminates the scenario of having 400 rolls of toilet paper delivered at one time.

Some media reports note such a re-order service could be the perfect college student gift. The button arrives about a year after Amazon announced a similar wireless wand shopping tool technology, called Dash, which is aimed at helping consumers ensure that pantry items remain stocked.

About Judy Mottl

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Judy Mottl is editor of Retail Customer Experience and Digital Signage Today. She has decades of experience as a reporter, writer and editor covering technology and business for top media including AOL, InformationWeek, InternetNews and Food Truck Operator.

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