Retailers worldwide are grappling with soaring memory costs for point-of-sale (POS) systems, driven by the ongoing storage chip “super cycle” in 2025.
The crisis began in April with NAND Flash price hikes and escalated in September when giants like Micron suspended quotes and Samsung raised DRAM prices by 15-30% . POS devices rely heavily on these traditional memory chips, but manufacturers have shifted to high-margin AI components like HBM, causing supply shortages .
Small retailers are hardest hit. A convenience store owner in Chicago noted POS memory replacement costs have jumped 40% since Q2. Industry analysts warn the squeeze will persist: Morgan Stanley predicts the super cycle could last until 2027, with DDR4—critical for most POS models—remaining scarce .
Some retailers are delaying system upgrades, risking inefficiencies amid peak shopping seasons.