Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST) and Nike (NYSE: NKE) are two consumer goods heavyweights that have delivered incredible shareholder wealth over many years. Sales growth was elevated for about two full years, first when the pandemic started and customers stocked up on essentials, and then when inflation began to rise and shoppers tried to get the best prices they could. Nike's pivot to focusing on its direct-to-consumer strategy was a fortuitous decision before the pandemic, and its incredible customer loyalty and engagement helped it recover quickly.