Amazon adds 50 new Dash Buttons and claims solid growth despite skeptics

Despite ongoing doubts that Dash Buttons will ever truly be a thing, Amazon announced today that 50 new brands have joined the program, bringing the total to 150.

The wireless buttons launched last year and were greeted with skepticism and not a little mockery. In breaking news about the new buttons earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal cited market research that seemed to indicate the buttons were not well-used by consumers.

But Amazon insists the program is gaining solid traction and made it clear that it will continue to expand in the coming months.

“Three months ago, we were excited to see orders were occurring once a minute — now, that rate has doubled,” said Daniel Rausch, director of Amazon Dash, in a statement. “Dash Button is resonating with Prime members and has become an innovative way for brands to stay connected with their customers, keeping them supplied with products they count on with the simple press of a button.”

The Dash Buttons were just the latest strategy from Amazon to remove all possible friction from buying stuff online. No need to sit in front of computer or stare at your smartphone. Just push a single button, and the order is made.

The Dash Buttons are sold to members of Amazon Prime for $4.99 each, but they come with a $4.99 shopping credit which makes it about as low-risk as you can get.

Brands such as Angel Soft, Tide, Charmin, and Downy were already part of the program. The new group of 50 buttons includes Campbell’s Soup, Clif Bar, Glade, and DUDE. I don’t even know that “DUDE” is, but I like the idea of having a button that says “DUDE” on it in my house that I can push all time.

Of course, Amazon lets people also order through its voice-activated Echo device, which has been a surprise hit. And as the Journal story notes, many of these brands seemed to be joining just in case Dash Buttons do take off.

“The Amazon Dash Button is a huge success for Trojan Brand Condoms,” Bruce Weiss, vice president of marketing for Trojan Brand Condoms, said in the Amazon press release. “It literally takes being prepared and protected to a whole new level, making condom buying as easy as pushing a button. The unexpected and fun nature of this leading-edge technology from Amazon goes a long way in bringing condoms more into the mainstream as a normal consumer health product.”