How Dash Achieved 20% Cost Savings and Faster Accessibility Compliance by Switching to TestParty

Dash, the flagship brand of housewares company StoreBound LLC, has sold over 21 million of their signature mini waffle makers and earned more than 186,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. The brand has made fun cooking tools a cultural phenomenon, with #dashminiwafflemaker generating 23 million views on TikTok. As Dash scales from dorm room essentials to full kitchen countertop staples, ensuring their digital experience is as accessible as their products became a strategic priority, not just a compliance checkbox.

The Challenge: Accessibility Stalled by Limited Resources

For Carter Diamond, Director of ECommerce at StoreBound, accessibility wasn't just a compliance checkbox: it was core to the brand's mission. "We've always said that we wanted this brand to be something that makes cooking fun, approachable and accessible," Carter explains. "Originally we were talking in terms of price point and easy-to-use tools in the kitchen, but it became imperative that we also make our digital experience easy-to-use and accessible to everyone."

But good intentions weren't enough. Managing accessibility alongside a lean e-commerce team proved challenging:

• Competing priorities: Between marketing, fulfillment optimization, and navigating tariff challenges, accessibility projects stalled
• Technical bottlenecks: Deep code changes and third-party app fixes required development capabilities the team didn't have and previous partner did not provide.

Why TestParty: Development-First Accessibility

When evaluating new partner TestParty, three factors stood out immediately:

Transparent Partnership from Day One

"You showed up as a true partner, not just a sales team," Carter notes. "You met with us, you were very transparent, and the people we spoke with on day one were the same people who managed and completed the project."

Actual Code Implementation

Unlike audit-only services, TestParty handles the actual development work. "You took on the development of the fixes and implemented them directly in our codebase," Carter explains. "I did not even have to worry about it."

Third-Party App Remediation

One unexpected benefit? TestParty's willingness to tackle Shopify apps directly. "I was surprised by how willing you were to collaborate with our third party service providers," Carter says. "I was not expecting you to actually go through all of these Shopify apps, log into them, and make changes in several of them."

The Results: Faster, Better, and More Affordable

20% Annual Contract Savings

By switching to TestParty, Dash achieved immediate cost savings of 20% on their annual accessibility contract, while simultaneously improving coverage and speed.

75% faster: Weeks of Implementation Time Saved

"The speed. I can't understate the amount of time it took you guys, it was way quicker than I thought it would be," Carter reflects. What previously took months of back-and-forth was accomplished in weeks with TestParty's hands-on approach.

The communication model made all the difference: "We were working together in Slack like we were in the same office. With other services, I had to open a ticket and then wait a week just to hear back."

90% Reduced Internal Developer Time

Beyond the direct contract savings, Dash saw significant cost reduction in internal resources. Projects that would have required extensive development hours were handled entirely by TestParty's team, freeing Carter to focus on revenue-generating activities.

"Bringing you in meant I could actually move the whole project forward instead of just picking off a few tasks at a time," Carter explains.

Comprehensive Coverage Through GitHub Integration

TestParty's approach provided complete visibility and control. "I really like the workflow we have now where I keep and maintain a base theme in GitHub and the TestParty team goes through it, makes changes, and suggests improvements," Carter says. "It has been very transparent and has increased my confidence not only in the site, but in the partnership as a whole."

The pull request workflow meant Carter could:

• Review every accessibility fix before it went live
• Understand exactly what changed in the codebase
• Maintain control over the theme while benefiting from expert implementation

Unlocked Focus on Conversion

Perhaps most importantly, accessibility is no longer a bottleneck for other improvements. "In the past, I was hesitant to make big changes because I was concerned it could mean a lot of accessibility remediation," Carter explains. "Now that we have TestParty, I feel comfortable really focusing on conversion, because I know TestParty can focus on accessibility."

Looking Forward: Accessibility as Competitive Advantage

For Dash, accessibility is now fully embedded in their digital strategy. "Accessibility is now part of how we plan new features, design updates, platforms, and partnerships," Carter says. "It is always forefront on our minds."

Beyond compliance, the team is thinking about broader benefits:

• SEO improvements from comprehensive alt text implementation
• AI readiness as models increasingly scrape site content for training
• Enhanced user experience across all customer segments

As Carter puts it: "I am really happy that we are raising the bar on accessibility across our sites and improving the overall online experience."

Key Takeaways for E-Commerce Leaders

If you're currently working with an audit-only accessibility provider:

1. Calculate your total cost: Include internal developer time, not just the vendor contract
2. Measure what's not getting done: How many audit findings remain unresolved after 6 months?
3. Consider implementation speed: How much revenue opportunity are you missing while accessibility work stalls other projects?

What to look for in an accessibility partner:

• Direct code implementation, not just audits
• Transparent workflow with visibility into all changes
• Willingness to tackle third-party integrations
• Clear, predictable pricing without annual renegotiations
• Fast, collaborative communication (Slack vs. ticket systems)

For Shopify stores specifically:

TestParty's Shopify-native approach addresses the unique challenges of the platform—from theme customization to the complex ecosystem of third-party apps that traditional scanners identify but can't fix.

About Dash

Dash by StoreBound (invested by GroupSEB) is a leading kitchenware brand known for making cooking fun, approachable, and accessible through innovative kitchen appliances at great price points. As StoreBound's flagship brand, Dash has built a loyal customer base over nearly a decade by prioritizing both product quality and customer experience.

Ready to achieve similar results? Schedule a demo to see how TestParty can help your Shopify store achieve WCAG compliance faster and more affordably than traditional accessibility providers.