The "Berkshire Bazaar of Bargains" still had the See's chocolate coins, the Brooks running shoes, and the Squishmallows. What it did not have was a line out the door.
The shopping event tied to Berkshire's yearly meeting drew a thinner crowd this year. The reason was standing in the middle of the hall, shaking hands.
Abel took over as Berkshire's CEO at the start of 2026. Buffett is still chairman at 95.
The spotlight has shifted.
Abel is set to lead the big Q&A that has defined the meeting for years. That changes the feel of the weekend.
Buffett has been the draw for the thousands of fans who fly to Omaha each spring. The 20,000-square-foot show floor inside CHI Health Center was built around that pull.
This year, it was Abel walking booth to booth. He greeted staff and shook hands with fans. Lines formed as he moved through the hall.
The brands inside Berkshire are not shy about the handoff. Jazwares, the toy maker that owns Squishmallows, made an Abel plush.
Berkshire bought Jazwares through its 2022 deal for Alleghany.
The new CEO helped design his own plush. Jazwares chief Jeremy Padawer told CNBC that Abel was "engaged, interested and involved" in the work.
Jazwares also dropped special Squishmallows for BNSF Railway, NetJets, GEICO, and See's Candies.
See's put out cardboard cutouts of Buffett and Abel playing hockey. That was a wink at Abel's Canadian roots and his love of the sport.
Brooks Running made a 2026 shoe with the Berkshire name on the side and on the insoles. About 2,000 fans signed up to run the Brooks "Invest in Yourself" 5K Sunday morning, on a new course this year.
Other Berkshire-owned brands had their own booths on the floor. Justin Boots showed off a display.
Pilot, the truck stop chain, set up its booth. Marmon Holdings was there with its own signs.
Each one is a piece of the deal stack that Buffett built over the years. Each one now reports up to Abel.
The new boss is now the face of all of those brands, too.
The Q&A is the real test. For years, the draw at Omaha was Buffett's plain-English answers to investor questions.
Abel will be on stage taking those questions himself. How he does will set the tone for how fans price the next chapter of Berkshire.
The merch and the smaller crowds are early signs. The Q&A is the first one that matters.
Watch for how Abel handles the toughest market questions. Watch what he says about the firm's huge cash pile.
Watch how Buffett shares the stage with him.
Watch the booth lines, too. The size of the lines around Squishmallows, See's, and Brooks tells you how strong the Berkshire fanbase still is in this new era.
Each of those signs will tell you how Berkshire will be run from here.
