BEIJING — The output and sales of China's home appliance saw stable growth in the first half of the year, an industry report showed.

Domestic retail sales reached 429.7 billion yuan (about $62.28 billion) during the period, with over 40 percent contributed by online sales, according to a report released by the think tank CCID under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The home appliance market upgraded by turning its focus from functional consumption to upgraded consumption, which boosted the sales of new types of home appliances including robots and dust mite controllers.

Home appliance enterprises further cultivated the market by meeting rural demand. From January to June, online retail sales to rural areas increased 96 percent year-on-year.

China has vowed to provide greater policy support to encourage the consumption of home appliances and to meet people's demand for green and smart products.