Fair point - everyone knows that retail is a razor-thin margin arena to play in.

I would argue that their profitability is a lot more stable than Apple. A few missteps and Apple is no longer the golden child. They have to continue to innovate or they lose their special status. Executing on a retail strategy is in many ways simpler than "build the next innovative consumer electronics widget...sell for astronomical price".

I'd take stock in Amazon over Apple any day.