The world's three largest memory chip manufacturers are taking unusual measures to curb customer hoarding behavior. Amid persistent supply tightness, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron Technology have begun intensifying scrutiny of customer orders, demanding disclosure of end-user and order volume information to ensure demand authenticity and prevent excessive stockpiling from further disrupting the market.
According to a Friday report, the three companies have tightened order requirements, implementing stricter monitoring of customer purchasing activities. This move highlights the severity of the current supply-demand imbalance in the memory chip market.
The ripple effects of the supply crunch are becoming apparent in the consumer electronics sector. Entry-level and mid-range products—including televisions, set-top boxes, home routers, tablets, smartphones, and personal computers—are expected to be hit the hardest. The automotive industry is also facing significant pressure, with its longer certification cycles complicating the issue.
Soaring memory prices have started to erode manufacturer profits. According to TrendForce data, the proportion of DRAM in the bill of materials cost for televisions has rapidly increased from a previous 2.5-3% to 6-7%, placing immense pressure on brand profitability. Smaller brands with limited resources are bearing a heavier burden. Against the backdrop of rising costs and tightening supply, PC manufacturers may also scale back shipment volumes. TrendForce has revised down its 2026 laptop shipment forecast, changing from a projected year-on-year decline of 5.4% to a steeper drop of 9.4%.
Manufacturers are seeking alternatives to cope with the memory chip shortage. Some manufacturers have begun procuring old inventory from warehouses, disassembling memory chips from these devices and reinstalling them onto other printed circuit boards to achieve component reuse and secure additional supply. However, this method is limited to secondary markets that can tolerate potential quality issues.
Some PC manufacturers are also adjusting their product design strategies. Certain vendors are designing additional memory slots into entry-level models, allowing users to upgrade capacity themselves when needed, thereby alleviating the current supply pressure.
Recent data disclosed by memory chip manufacturers further confirms the tight supply situation. SK Hynix stated that its DRAM inventory saw a significant year-on-year decrease in the fourth quarter of last year and is expected to contract further in the second half of this year, indicating that customer supply conditions may remain tight for some time. Regarding NAND flash memory, SK Hynix noted that inventory, primarily for solid-state drives, has been declining since the second half of last year and has now fallen to levels comparable to DRAM.
Samsung's DRAM inventory has reportedly dropped to approximately six weeks of supply, roughly half of the normal 10-12 week level. As the company with the largest production capacity among the three major memory chip manufacturers, Samsung is poised to benefit in this supplier-dominated market.