This year, the market size of China’s dishwasher industry is expected to approach the 10‑billion‑yuan level. Wang Lei, Secretary‑General of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association, pointed out at the recently held 2021 China Dishwasher Summit Forum that driven by health‑related demands, localized design and energy‑saving requirements, the dishwasher market holds promising prospects.
According to A‑Voh data, from January to August this year, China’s total dishwasher sales revenue rose by 15.8 % year‑on‑year to RMB 5.77 billion, while total sales volume increased by 3.2 % year‑on‑year to 1.16 million units.
Since 2015, the dishwasher industry has maintained sound growth, and several notable shifts have taken place across the market. First, consumer demands have become better‑defined, and premium‑oriented product trends are evident. Entering the second quarter, both online and offline dishwasher channels saw price increases. The offline average selling price climbed to RMB 7,000. This is partly attributable to surging bulk commodity raw‑material prices over the past two years; nevertheless, the key driver behind higher average prices lies in shifts within the dishwasher product sales mix. As full‑size dishwashers better satisfy user needs such as washing cookware, handling family‑dinner loads, disinfection and drying, the buying preference for “choosing larger rather than smaller models” has become mainstream. Full‑size units dominate offline sales and are eroding the market share of compact models online. Thanks to their higher average price points, full‑size dishwashers have lifted the overall market average selling price.
Second, dishwashers are delivering multi‑functional capabilities, accompanied by higher technical requirements. For Chinese consumers, dishwashers are expected to do far more than merely wash tableware. Features for cleaning baby‑care articles, range‑hood filters and baking tools have become commonplace. Leading brands have further rolled out dedicated cycles such as “fruit‑and‑vegetable wash” and “seafood wash”. Given local consumers’ habit of leaving cleaned tableware inside dishwashers for extended periods, major brands have ramped‑up R&D on internal‑cavity dry‑air maintenance, enabling long‑term dry and hygienic storage of tableware. Dishwasher use‑cases have expanded beyond post‑meal cleaning to pre‑meal‑prep washing and long‑term storage.
Furthermore, the shrinking proportion of home‑appliance expenditure within total household income constitutes the fundamental driver for emerging appliances like dishwashers gaining entry into Chinese households. Young consumer demographics including the post‑80s, post‑90s and even post‑00s generations form the foundation of new dishwasher consumption. Currently, core dishwasher users are aged 26‑35 years old, followed by the 36‑45 age bracket. Marriage‑age consumers represent the primary audience, yet acceptance among middle‑aged and senior users is rising markedly. With volume growth in tier‑1 and tier‑2 cities and energized tier‑3 and tier‑4 markets, dishwashers are unlocking growth opportunities across broader geographic tiers.
It is reported that although dishwashers relieve households of routine domestic chores, China’s domestic penetration rate remains below 3 %. The category has entered a rapid introduction phase and stands one step away from popularization. Industry insiders widely expect this transition to materialize within the next several years.
Zhang Junjie, Dishwasher Product Director at Robam Appliances, stated that more than 400 new dishwasher brands were registered in 2021. Market prosperity will undoubtedly accelerate dishwasher popularization; however, technological innovation should always serve as the core driver for brands to expand market share. In recent years, based on research into Chinese kitchen layouts and cooking characteristics, Robam Appliances has proposed an integrated‑solution concept for Chinese kitchens, centering on high‑suction range hoods and high‑power dishwasher washing. Improvements in product technology and performance will prove decisive for dishwashers gaining acceptance among Chinese households.
Lu Yuqi, China Marketing Director for Dishwashers at Haier Smart Home, pointed out that within its global footprint, Haier has spent 25 years absorbing dishwasher technologies and adapting them for local‑market requirements. Internally, dishwashers fall under the Washing Appliance Business Unit alongside washing machines, owing to substantial technical synergies between the two product lines. The company believes dishwashers will become household necessities in China just as washing machines are today.
“Over the past five years, annual domestic dishwasher sales have expanded from 190 000 units to 1.9 million units — a ten‑fold increase. This achievement stems from joint efforts spanning manufacturers, industry associations and the media,” said Lü Shenghua, Editor‑in‑Chief of China Home Appliance Network. According to Lü, “Following five‑year rapid expansion, a sizable base of early‑adopter dishwasher users has formed. Attention should also be paid to existing‑user experience and popularizing consumer knowledge throughout product usage.” To this end, China Home Appliance Network has partnered with finish, the professional dishwasher‑detergent brand, to compile the White Paper on China’s Dishwasher & Special‑Purpose Detergent Development Status and Consumer Survey, which highlights proper detergent application and best‑practice dishwasher operation.
