Thinking about where a business might be in 10 years' time forces you to look beyond short-term earnings cycles and market sentiment.
The companies that are arguably best suited to a long holding period are those that can evolve as consumer behaviour changes, reinvest successfully, and expand their relevance over time. Size alone is not enough and adaptability matters just as much.
With that long-term lens, here are three ASX 200 shares that could still be building wealth for investors all the way through to 2036:
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Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG)
Breville is often underestimated as a consumer appliances business. Its long term appeal lies in how it approaches product development and brand positioning.
Rather than competing purely on price, Breville focuses on premium, design-led appliances that sit at the higher end of the market. This gives it pricing power and allows it to build loyal customers who repeatedly upgrade within the ecosystem.
What makes Breville interesting over a decade-long timeframe is its global mindset. The company generates a large portion of its sales offshore and continues to invest heavily in innovation, particularly in coffee, food preparation, and connected appliances. As home cooking, coffee culture, and premiumisation trends persist globally, Breville has scope to deepen its presence in key international markets.
By 2036, Breville could potentially look less like a traditional appliance maker and more like a global consumer brand built around everyday rituals.
REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA)
Another ASX 200 share to buy and hold until 2036 is REA Group.
Its strength is not just its dominance in Australian property listings, but how embedded it has become in the real estate transaction process.
Realestate.com.au is often the first and last stop for buyers, sellers, and agents. That position gives the company powerful data advantages and the ability to layer new products and services on top of its core listings business.
Looking ahead to 2036, the opportunity is less about housing cycles and more about monetisation depth. REA Group continues to expand into analytics, finance-related tools, and agent services, increasing its relevance regardless of whether volumes are booming or subdued.
As long as property remains a core part of household wealth, platforms that control attention and data are likely to retain significant influence. REA's challenge is execution, not relevance, which is a strong position to be in over the long term.
Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)
Finally, Temple & Webster could be a top ASX 200 share to buy and hold.
It represents a different kind of long-term opportunity, one tied to how consumers shop rather than what they buy.
Furniture and homewares remain relatively underpenetrated online compared to other retail categories. Temple & Webster's pure-play digital model allows it to avoid the fixed costs and inflexibility of physical store networks, while offering a far broader range than traditional retailers.
The long-term story is about leverage. As volumes grow, the company can spread marketing, technology, and logistics costs across a larger revenue base. Its growing private label offering also creates scope for margin expansion and differentiation.
If online adoption in bulky retail continues to rise over the next decade, Temple & Webster could still be in the early stages of its growth journey by 2036.
