"Shrimp Farming Craze" Drives Mac mini Demand: Huaqiangbei Faces Severe Shortage, Prices Universally Marked Up by Hundreds of Yuan

Securities Times Reporter Wu Shun Intern Zhou Shuhan

The “shrimp farming craze” has boosted sales of Apple hardware Mac mini. Due to safety concerns, many people choose not to deploy “Little Lobster” OpenClaw on personal or office computers, but instead opt for a Mac mini that better supports OpenClaw and comes with macOS pre-installed. This has led to shortages of Mac minis in many online and offline stores.

Recently, the Securities Times reporter visited Huaqiangbei, the world’s largest electronics market in Shenzhen, and found that several sales booths were out of stock. Some booths were still selling but had no inventory. Meanwhile, there was a significant markup, with some booths increasing prices by hundreds of yuan in a single day.

“People will buy regardless of the markup”

At Seg Electronics World in Huaqiangbei, the reporter asked multiple Apple device vendors if they had Mac minis in stock. Most replied “no stock” or “we don’t sell that.” Several merchants said that this previously well-stocked mini PC has become hard to find due to the popularity of OpenClaw. “Many people buy them all at once, with markups of 300, 500, 600 yuan… no matter how high the price, someone will buy.”

Only one booth displayed a Mac mini M1 in stock, priced at 4,200 yuan, up from 3,600 yuan before. The most popular M4 model was already out of stock. “We used to have M4 and M3 models, which were about 500 yuan cheaper than the official website. Now we can’t get any, and we don’t know when they’ll be available. The last one is a demo unit—you can take it if you want.”

The reporter then visited the opposite Huaqiang Electronics World and found a similar situation. A vendor said they would receive stock in the afternoon, and prices were fluctuating.

On the fourth floor, a booth displayed several used Mac mini M1 and M2 models from years ago. The merchant said they are a wholesaler, having sold over a hundred units since the Lunar New Year, but M4 models still require waiting until the afternoon to confirm availability. “The Mac mini M4 has already increased by 600-700 yuan. The M2, which was 2,100 yuan before, is now 2,400 yuan, up 300 yuan.”

Later, the reporter learned from an authorized Apple dealer that the in-store price for the Mac mini M4 16+256GB was 4,999 yuan. Checking Apple’s official website, this price is about 500 yuan higher than the official retail price for the same configuration, with an estimated delivery time of 4-5 weeks.

Many merchants said that most customers are buying for “shrimp farming,” including bulk buyers who deploy and resell at a markup, as well as individual hobbyists. “Just look at how many people attend the forums in Longgang—you’ll see how many are into ‘shrimp farming.’ Now everyone wants to try it; the entry barrier isn’t high.”

Why is the Mac mini “hard to find”?

The Mac mini is not an essential device for “shrimp farming.” One merchant told the reporter, “We had a client who helped others deploy, and he said you don’t need a Mac mini; as long as it’s macOS 12 or above, it works. You can even use a MacBook.” However, this hasn’t dampened buyers’ enthusiasm for the Mac mini.

The latest Mac mini was released in November 2024, equipped with M4 and M4Pro chips. Thanks to its high computing power and low power consumption, it has become the preferred hardware for deploying AI agents locally.

Industry insiders say that deploying OpenClaw on Mac mini offers the best experience because of native support, high system integration, and seamless synchronization with iPhone and iPad for calendar, notes, reminders, and screenshots. File management is smarter, and setting up the development environment is easier.

As a compact, screenless mini PC with low power consumption, the Mac mini can run 24/7 continuously, reducing operating costs. Before the surge in popularity and price hikes, its cost-performance ratio was higher than other models.

Additionally, the current market shortage has shifted consumer focus from outright purchase to leasing services. Many second-hand platforms now feature daily rental options for Mac minis, with rental prices ranging from 10 to 20 yuan per day.

Cloud deployment solutions to seize the opportunity

As the “shrimp farming craze” continues to grow, several major internet companies have recently launched cloud deployment solutions for OpenClaw. These cloud environments are more isolated, offering better data security and easier deployment, with many providers offering one-click deployment options.

For example, Tencent launched QClaw and WorkBuddy on March 9, covering both personal and enterprise scenarios; ByteDance released ArkClaw, a cloud SaaS version of OpenClaw on the same day; Baidu Cloud announced DuClaw, a zero-deployment OpenClaw service on March 11, which requires no image selection, server configuration, or API key entry—just subscribe and use, enabling zero-threshold “shrimp farming.”

Although these cloud deployments incur some cloud service costs, they are still more affordable than the skyrocketing prices of Mac minis, potentially reducing reliance on local hardware for “shrimp farmers.” Since most current “shrimp farming” is experimental, buying a Mac mini at inflated prices may not be cost-effective.

Therefore, while Mac mini remains highly popular now, whether its popularity will decline or consumers will shift from frantic buying to rational choices remains to be seen.

(Edited by: Wen Jing)

Keywords: OpenClaw