I guess this starts with me stumbling across the outrageous price of a single sakura shrimp and opting instead to go for regular cheap cherry shrimp only to then watch these cheap variety develop into such strongly colored cherry shrimp that they eventually turn a dark crimson or deep purple... Until recently I had about 11 bee shrimp and several and 8 cherry shrimp which through stupidity (a residual snail treatment which according to the label, should have dissipated by the time I put them back in.) I wiped them all out bar two bee shrimp 
So again I had to look in my lfs(') and ebay and again I chose the cheaper option for both breeds. And again, the shrimps have developed into better looking (and higher market value if I were to sell them) The cherry shrimp develop into a darker and darker shade with every molt. I never ever feed the shrimp directly. Due to the way I feed my tank The shrimp never get any artificial food and feed "solely" on algae and whatever else they find in a planted tank.
I bought 2 of the cheapest bee shrimp I could find a couple of months ago and this is the first surviving offspring which I stumbled across (about 1cm long)
And with the cheap cherry shrimp (or sakura) notice the darkest patch near the head. It appears that that dark patch is the next color it will attain with it's next molt.
I personally believe that shrimp that are not fed develop stronger colors. I've seen shrimp tanks, one not that far from me and some of the hobbyists I'm subscribed to on yt. And in every case I've come across those that feed on regular flake/pellets don't develop colours as strong. Unless they have been specifically bred...
And I'm wondering what you're take on the matter is and perhaps you could post pics of yours...
Oh and please excuse the algae in each pic I haven't had a sufficient clean up crew for sometime now

So again I had to look in my lfs(') and ebay and again I chose the cheaper option for both breeds. And again, the shrimps have developed into better looking (and higher market value if I were to sell them) The cherry shrimp develop into a darker and darker shade with every molt. I never ever feed the shrimp directly. Due to the way I feed my tank The shrimp never get any artificial food and feed "solely" on algae and whatever else they find in a planted tank.
I bought 2 of the cheapest bee shrimp I could find a couple of months ago and this is the first surviving offspring which I stumbled across (about 1cm long)

And with the cheap cherry shrimp (or sakura) notice the darkest patch near the head. It appears that that dark patch is the next color it will attain with it's next molt.

I personally believe that shrimp that are not fed develop stronger colors. I've seen shrimp tanks, one not that far from me and some of the hobbyists I'm subscribed to on yt. And in every case I've come across those that feed on regular flake/pellets don't develop colours as strong. Unless they have been specifically bred...
And I'm wondering what you're take on the matter is and perhaps you could post pics of yours...
Oh and please excuse the algae in each pic I haven't had a sufficient clean up crew for sometime now