If you compare AMZN who rarely turned a profit until recently by focusing on growth, ebay who has been profitable for many years retaining or reinvesting the money, or (insert tradional big retailer) who has been profitable and paid dividends. The one who is both growing by far the fastest, taking market share from everyone else, and been by far the best for investors is amzn. If the sears types had used their profits 15 years ago to keep up online things may have turned out a lot better for them
