Samsung Electronics widens share lead in U.S. home-appliance market

Samsung Electronics Co. raised its share of the U.S. home-appliance market for the second quarter of this year, widening its lead over competitors, according to a market estimate on Wednesday.

Samsung accounted for 16.7 percent of the U.S. market for five major household appliances -- refrigerators, washing machines, ovens, microwave ovens and dishwashers -- for the April-June period, according to the estimate by market researcher TraQline. 

It marked a 2-percentage-point increase from the previous quarter and a 3.7-percentage-point rise from the same period last year.

In particular, Samsung held 30.4 percent of the U.S. market for premium refrigerators, also known as French-door refrigerators, for the second quarter.

Samsung began selling a new premium refrigerator, The Family Hub, in the U.S. market in May.

The stylish, Wi-Fi-enabled refrigerator allows users to manage their groceries and connect their family members, according to Samsung's website.

Samsung's overall share of the U.S. refrigerator market stood at 18.8 percent for the quarter.

In the U.S. oven market, Samsung's share rose to 15.2 percent for the second quarter. (Yonhap)