Shoppers splashed out 216 billion yuan ($32.1 billion) on online home appliances in China in the first half of the year, an industry report revealed.

This was an increase of 16.9 percent year-on-year as the trend of buying major household goods on the internet intensified.

Figures released by the China Center for Information Industry Development showed that sales of flat screen televisions, air-conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines reached 74.7 billion yuan during the same period, a 41 percent increase year-on-year.

"In recent years, China's online home appliances market has developed at a high speed with sales bigger than expected," the research institute's report stated.

As for the big online winners, JD.com Inc still tops the home appliance sector with an internet market share of 61.3 percent, the report highlighted.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's online marketplace Tmall.com grabbed a 28 percent slice of the market, while Suning Commerce Group Co Ltd came next on 9.4 percent.

The survey also showed that e-commerce transactions accelerated in rural areas, with retail sales increasing by 38.1 percent year-on-year for the first six months of 2017. But the report did not release detailed financial figures, which were supplied by the Ministry of Commerce.

Still, those sales numbers in rural regions were 4.9 percentage points higher than transactions in urban areas.

Best-selling home appliances in rural parts of the country were flat screen TVs and refrigerators.

"An increasing number of people want a certain quality of life," said Hu Yan, a department official at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

"High-quality home appliances are particularly popular online because they meet a demand for personalized products," she said.

The report showed that air purifiers, water purifiers and dishwashers are becoming more popular online. Sales of air purifiers increased by 54 percent and water purifiers by 37.6 percent in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2016.

Online sales of Chinese aircon brands accounted for 97.6 percent of the market, while domestic TV manufacturers captured a 72.2 percent share in their sector.

Contact the writers at chengyu@chinadaily.com.cn