It's hard to understate the power that , Amazon, and Costco Wholesale wield in the U.S. retail industry and the broader economy. Together, the three companies generate close to $1.5 trillion in revenue globally. Walmart and Amazon are also the two biggest employers in the country, and Costco is among the top as well.

All three of these stocks have been huge winners over their respective lifetimes, which isn't surprising. If a stock is a leader in a huge industry, it only makes sense that it delivered substantial returns to investors at some point in its history.

What is surprising is that all three of these stocks have been outperformed by an unlikely competitor. What kind of company am I talking about? It's not a disruptor or even a particularly innovative company. It's not a tech company like Shopify. This is a straight-up, no-frills retailer.

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Source Fool.com