Dive Brief:
- GE Appliances announced its first dishwasher to integrate Amazon Dash Replenishment reordering capability.
- Owners set up the WiFi-connected dishwasher by connecting to the GE Kitchen app through an Amazon account and entering how many dish detergent pods they currently have on hand; the dishwasher measures how many pods are used by counting wash cycles, and when the supply runs low, it automatically reorders more.
- The dishwasher launch comes about 10 months after GE joined the Amazon program by enabling a washing machine with automated reordering of laundry detergent via Dash Replenishment.
Dive Insight:
Amazon has pretty much cornered the market on various forms of unassuming-looking devices that automatically order stuff from its e-commerce site. Count the Echo, Dot, Dash and Wand as part of that extended family, and we may even be missing one or two.
GE's announcement comes just a few days after Amazon expanded the capabilities of the Wand device, which actually is part of the Dash product family. The Wand was expanded beyond its previously limited capability for ordering groceries to ordering just about anything, bringing it a little closer to what the Echo and related products can do (although you won't hear Alexa's voice on the Wand), and allowing it to do more than the Dash button, which currently only replenishes frequently-repurchased products.
In any case, GE's dishwasher launch provides more evidence that Amazon continues to convince brand partners to participate in the program. Back in August, Amazon announced that new partners and products were being added to Dash Replenishment, an announcement which came not long after some had questioned the popularity of the program with consumers. At that time, Amazon also hinted about this week's GE dishwasher launch, saying that existing partners like GE would add Dash sensors to additional appliances.
It may not be any clearer how many people actually use the Dash Replenishment program, but if Amazon continues to entice big brand partners like GE to support the program, it is likely going to be around for a while, and will have a healthy opportunity to grow in popularity.
