Danish electronics chains Power and Elgiganten cannot get ordered MacBooks delivered, as a global shortage of memory chips driven by AI data centers squeezes supply.
Customers looking for a new MacBook in Denmark are meeting empty shelves at Power and Elgiganten. DR reported on Sunday that a shortage of computer components, above all memory chips, is behind the gaps.
According to DR tech analyst Marcel Mirzaei-Fard, host of the DR podcast Prompt, a single missing component stops assembly of a finished computer. That leaves fewer units to ship on to retailers such as Elgiganten and Power.
Jan Boysen, managing director of Power Danmark, told DR that Apple has informed the chain it cannot deliver the batches that were ordered. He described the situation as critical, since customers expect the computers to be in stock.
Ekstra Bladet reported on August 29 that both chains say Apple cannot currently deliver MacBooks. The result is empty shelves in their Apple sections.
AI data centers absorb the chips
The components have become sought after as AI data centers expand worldwide and in Denmark. Such facilities use large volumes of the same memory chips found in consumer computers, DR reports.
Supply and demand can no longer keep pace, per Mirzaei-Fard. He notes that production cannot be scaled up overnight, and that chip makers sell to the buyers paying most, currently the AI facilities.
Prices on Apple computers have also risen sharply alongside the supply problems. DR was unable to obtain a comment from Apple. In a statement two months ago, the company said the rapid build out of AI data centers had created an extraordinary rise in demand for memory and storage.
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Speaking to Politiken, Henrik Eriksen, sales manager for computing and gaming at Elgiganten, said Apple is not alone. He described the same picture at other computer manufacturers, though less severe, and said balance between supply and demand is unlikely before 2027.
At Power, the shortage has gone so far that the chain must rank its customers, according to Boysen. Customers who come in and pre-order will be the first to receive products, rather than those walking in off the street.
Mirzaei-Fard said the shelves will not be empty forever, but that shoppers may need patience. He pointed to analysts who expect the market to settle only sometime next year.
Power and Elgiganten are among the largest sellers of the MacBook in Denmark. Both chains say they are having to disappoint customers while deliveries remain uncertain.
