But this is Apple's retail operations, not Apple Corp the maker of iGadgets. And the profit margin is 0.275%. Is that reasonable? IDK, but I imagine Apple Retail is paying near list price to Apple Corp along with the overheads of staffing and rent (which includes taxes). In light of that this may not be all that unreasonable. That's why I'm asking if I'm missing something.
This is a fantastic point, and will almost certainly be lost in the moralistic uproar. If Apple Retail’s margins were super high, it would indicate that Apple Retail is getting a wildly, probably illegally unfair deal compared to its other retailers (e.g. Target, Best Buy).
Depends on the goal of Apple Retail. I don't think their primary objective is to make money. I think they should rather be viewed as more of the marketing arm of Apple Corp. They don't appear to skimp on their operations so I can see their margins being incredibly thin to the point of non-existent.
