Warren Buffett’s annual shopping event, held prior to Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting in Omaha, features over 20,000 square feet of showroom space and more than 50,000 items of inventory from various Berkshire holding companies such as Brooks Running and See’s Candies. Only shareholders can participate in the event and purchase items at a special discount. The annual meeting will be broadcast on CNBC and livestreamed on CNBC.com with special coverage beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday.
One of the highlights of the event was Jazwares, the American toymaker known for its Squishmallows plushie line, which expanded its exhibit to three times its original size. The company showcased the latest Squishmallows toys for Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, as well as other displays. Another feature was “Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger,” the only book for sale at the event in honor of Munger, Buffett’s business partner of over 60 years who passed away in November.
Berkshire Hathaway’s acquisition, FlightSafety, brought a taste of its pilot training program to the event with virtual reality glasses for shareholders to experience flight simulation training. Similarly, truck-stop giant Pilot Travel Centers displayed a real-sized red truck, showcasing its status as the largest operator of travel centers in North America. Berkshire now fully owns Pilot Travel after acquiring the remaining 20% ownership interest from the Haslam family, a deal that faced some controversy.
In 2016, Berkshire Hathaway purchased Duracell from Procter & Gamble for $4.7 billion, offering shares in P&G in exchange for the battery maker. Brooks Running attracted a long line of shareholders interested in purchasing the 2024 special edition of its running shoes featuring a cartoon of Buffett on the insoles. Many shareholders also planned to participate in the Brooks “Invest in Yourself” 5K fun run and walk following the annual meeting.
Warren Buffett acquired Dairy Queen in 1998 in a transaction worth approximately $600 million. He has been known to frequent the Omaha locations with his great-grandchildren and has shared that his favorite order is a vanilla soft serve topped with chocolate syrup and malted milk powder. These various Berkshire holdings and acquisitions were showcased at the annual shopping event, providing shareholders with an opportunity to learn more about the companies in which they have invested.
