Amazon Dash Button – the shopping experience of the future?

By Alex MacPherson, Solution Consultant Manager, Manhattan Associates.

The recent announcement of the Amazon Dash Button is yet another example of how Amazon continues to be one step ahead of the retail game. Retailers all over the globe aspire to catch up to their constant innovation and this latest stunt should be no different.

This retail first is yet another step towards the reality of a connected world and the increasing use of IoT amongst consumers. Retail is no longer as black and white as it used to be and ecommerce, connected consumers and the need for retail on demand has made it increasingly difficult for more traditional retailers to keep up.

Those who are still relying on traditional and in-store only methods to promote, sell and acquire new customers will be those who fall behind when it comes to today's connected consumer. Customers want an experience that is at their disposal, efficient, personalised, relevant and cost efficient, with the Dash Button playing to all of those needs. With more e-tailers and retailers like Amazon thinking up new initiatives every day to retain market share, there will be little room for those retailers not looking to the future to keep up.

And with the Dash Button increasing orders in the US by 3x, with orders via Dash Button taking place at a rate of over twice a minute, the UK is likely to quickly follow suit.

However, it is also worth remembering that technologies of this nature will work perfectly for everyday consumable items such as toiletries and food, but what about goods that typically need to be researched, viewed, tested or tried on before consumers press the buy button? When there are multiple styles, sizes, colours involved it will inevitably become more difficult to manage.

This is where retailers will need to get one step ahead of the competition in terms of processes, technology and staff expertise. Consumers will not stop at toiletries and food, they will soon get a taste for this convenient way of shopping; demanding more than they already do. But will everyone be ready?