Dishwasher boom shows appliance is a future 'kitchen star'

Chinese middle-class affluence is helping revive the local market for dishwashers, a product that never really took off in the past.

The segment is expected to double its growth this year, in line with the ongoing consumption upgrade in the country, according to a report from GfK China, a consumer and market research firm.

Dishwasher sales on JD.com, an online marketplace, grew 239 percent from January to September, according to the China Household Electrical Appliances Association.