Apple Inc. (AAPL): Is Brick-and-Mortar the Next Big Thing For Big Tech?

The bottom line

Apple started the trend and capitalized in a major way from it. Microsoft is playing copycat and following them, which isn’t a bad thing for Microsoft– and may even prove to be a success. If Google follows suit, we as consumers may be able to pick between the three stores at our local malls, and if it gets to that point it seems that the superior ecosystems (or the ecosystem that caters to the individual consumer) will be the deciding factor.

Each company is unique– Apple has the “cool” image and is known for quality, Microsoft’s strengths (as of now) are seen in its enterprise offerings and Xbox, with Google selling plenty of Android gadgets that are quickly taking over the market for mobile. Similarly, investing in these companies is unique: Apple is so cheap that it has become a value play (trading at only around 9 times forward earnings), Microsoft is a safe play for yield (at a little over 3%), and Google still appears to be a good growth play. All three companies serve their unique purpose to the consumer, just like all three can help fill an unique need in your portfolio.

The article Is Brick-and-Mortar the Next Big Thing For Big Tech? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Joseph Harry.

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