See's

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An American confectionery brand known for boxed chocolates, candy, lollipops, and company-operated retail shops.

Last updated October 7, 2026

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Overview

See's Candies is an American confectionery company and retail brand specializing in chocolates, assorted boxed candy, nuts, brittles, caramels, creams, truffles, and lollipops. The business was established in Los Angeles in 1921 by Charles See, his wife Florence, and his mother Mary. Mary See's recipes, developed during her earlier life in Ontario, became the foundation of the company's product range. The family initially combined candy production with a shop format and gradually expanded its retail network across California and other western states. See's developed a distinctive visual identity through its black-and-white porcelain storefronts, a format associated with the company from the early twentieth century onward. It built much of its reputation around freshness, traditional recipes, carefully controlled distribution, and direct retailing. Rather than relying primarily on broad supermarket distribution, the company has historically sold through its own shops, seasonal mall kiosks, catalogs, and e-commerce. This model allows it to manage product age and preserve a gift-oriented presentation. More than 70 percent of its stores have historically been located in California, although the company has also operated shops in numerous other U.S. states, airports, shopping centers, and selected international markets. The company shifted part of its production to South San Francisco because the area's cooler climate was advantageous for making creams and truffles. Its headquarters includes production and warehouse operations, while the original Los Angeles facility also retains manufacturing and retail functions. See's uses couverture chocolate supplied by the nearby Guittard Chocolate Company and sources nuts from California's Mariani Nut Company, according to the company's Wikipedia reference material. Its workforce includes unionized production and warehouse employees. See's became a landmark acquisition in Berkshire Hathaway's corporate history. Blue Chip Stamps obtained control of the business in 1972 and subsequently acquired the remaining interest for an overall price of $25 million. Berkshire Hathaway later absorbed Blue Chip's operations. Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger have repeatedly cited See's as an important example of a high-quality branded business with customer loyalty and pricing power. The acquisition helped shift Berkshire's investment philosophy away from purchasing only statistically cheap assets toward buying companies with durable brands and strong economics. The brand remains active and emphasizes chocolates, candy assortments, seasonal gifts, and in-store service. Its operations were temporarily suspended in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the first interruption of that scale since the Second World War according to the reference material. Operations began to resume about a month later with safety measures. See's continues to sell through retail locations and direct channels, with its strongest presence in the United States and additional international distribution and stores. The company is also part of American popular culture through the I Love Lucy episode in which Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance trained at a See's shop before filming a famous chocolate-factory sequence.

History

See's Candies traces its origins to Los Angeles in 1921, when Charles See established a confectionery business with his wife, Mary See, and their son, Charles See Jr. The company's early identity was closely tied to Mary See's candy recipes, which were presented as traditional, home-style formulas rather than as anonymous industrial products. This recipe heritage became a central part of the company's appeal and continued to influence the brand's messaging for decades. The original business combined candy manufacturing with branded retail shops. This approach gave See's control over product presentation, customer service, pricing, and the condition of products at the point of sale. The company became known for chocolates, caramels, brittles, creams, nuts, and other candies sold in boxes or by weight. Its black-and-white stores, often accompanied by samples and seasonal displays, helped make the retail experience as recognizable as the products themselves. During the twentieth century, See's expanded its store network beyond its original Los Angeles base, particularly throughout California and the western United States. The company preserved a relatively focused geographic and retail strategy instead of pursuing the broad supermarket distribution associated with many large candy manufacturers. This helped it maintain a more controlled premium image and supported its role as a destination for gifts, holidays, and special occasions. Berkshire Hathaway acquired See's in 1972. The transaction later became one of the most frequently discussed examples in Berkshire's shareholder letters because the company combined a respected brand with recurring consumer demand and comparatively limited requirements for additional capital. Warren Buffett described See's as a business whose customer loyalty and brand reputation permitted price increases while preserving attractive economics. The acquisition also illustrated Berkshire's preference for owning understandable businesses with durable competitive advantages and capable operating management. Under Berkshire ownership, See's continued to operate as a distinct confectionery business rather than being absorbed into a broader consumer-products label. Its core range remained centered on boxed chocolates and traditional candies, while the company added or developed seasonal assortments, gift formats, lollipops, online ordering, and other direct-sales channels. Manufacturing and distribution were modernized as needed, but the brand continued to emphasize freshness, recognizable recipes, and a familiar retail environment. In the twenty-first century, See's has continued serving customers through physical shops, seasonal retail locations, mail and telephone orders, and e-commerce. Holiday periods remain important because the brand's assortments are commonly purchased as gifts. It also serves corporate and group gifting needs. The company remains primarily a United States business, with especially strong historical associations in California and the western states. See's current significance comes from the combination of heritage and controlled retail execution. It occupies a premium position within American confectionery, competing not only on taste and ingredients but also on familiarity, service, packaging, sampling, and the emotional value of a traditional gift. As a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, it is not separately publicly traded, and detailed standalone financial information is generally not reported in the manner of a listed confectionery company.

1985
See's is highlighted in Berkshire's discussion of pricing power
[3]Berkshire Hathaway 1985 annual letterberkshirehathaway.com
Berkshire's annual letter discusses See's as an example of a business whose customer loyalty and brand strength support price increases.
1972
Berkshire Hathaway acquires See's Candies
[2]Berkshire Hathaway 1972 annual letterberkshirehathaway.com
See's becomes a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary and later serves as a prominent example of a durable consumer brand in Berkshire's shareholder communications.
1921
See's Candies is founded in Los Angeles
[1]See's Candies official company informationsees.com
Charles See, Mary See, and Charles See Jr. establish the confectionery business in Los Angeles, using Mary See's candy recipes as a foundational part of the brand.

Products and positioning

Premium, traditional American confectionery focused on fresh chocolates, gifting, company-operated retail, and long-standing recipes.

Boxed chocolates
Assorted Chocolates
See's assorted chocolate boxes combine multiple pieces from the company's traditional range, including creams, nuts, chews, caramels, truffles, and other chocolate-covered centers. They are among the brand's principal gifting products and are offered in multiple box sizes and formats. Assortments allow customers to purchase a broad selection without choosing each piece individually, while preserving See's recognizable packaging and retail presentation.
Lollipops
See's Pops
See's Pops are large branded lollipops sold in a range of flavors. They provide a lower-priced, highly recognizable entry point to the brand and are sold individually as impulse treats as well as in gift-oriented formats. Their size, simple presentation, and strong association with See's shops make them one of the company's most identifiable non-boxed offerings.
Brittle
Peanut Brittle
Peanut Brittle is a traditional See's confection made from a crisp, caramelized sugar base containing peanuts. It represents the brand's broader emphasis on classic American candy recipes and is available as an individual confection or as part of gifting and seasonal selections.
Chocolate candy
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a See's chocolate confection built around a rich brown-sugar and butter-style center covered in chocolate. It is one of the brand's named specialty pieces and is commonly included in assorted boxes or sold as an individual selection for customers who prefer a particular recipe.
Chocolate candy
Scotchmallow
Scotchmallow combines a caramel center and a marshmallow layer with a chocolate coating. The contrast between soft marshmallow, chewy caramel, and chocolate makes it a representative example of See's layered, individually named candy pieces.
Seasonal confectionery
Seasonal assortments
See's seasonal ranges adapt its core chocolates and candies for occasions including Valentine's Day, Easter, Christmas, and other gifting periods. These products typically use occasion-specific packaging, assortments, and formats while retaining the brand's established recipes. Seasonal sales are important to See's retail and direct-order model because many customers buy the products as gifts.

Brand decisions

1985
See's pricing is used to illustrate brand-based pricing powerPrice change
Background
Berkshire's shareholder communications described See's as a business with loyal customers and a product reputation strong enough to support higher prices.
Action taken
See's raised prices over time while continuing to operate its premium direct-retail confectionery model.
Aftermath
The brand became a canonical Berkshire example of how a trusted consumer franchise can protect margins when pricing changes are accepted by customers.
Source
1972
Berkshire Hathaway chooses to acquire See's CandiesM&A
Background
Berkshire Hathaway was seeking businesses with understandable operations, strong consumer franchises, and the potential to generate attractive returns without requiring large recurring capital investment.
Action taken
Berkshire Hathaway acquired See's Candies and retained it as a distinct operating subsidiary.
Aftermath
See's became one of Berkshire's best-known consumer-brand holdings and a recurring case study in the value of customer loyalty and brand-based pricing power.
Source

Recent events

2024
See's maintains direct retail and online confectionery model[4]See's Candies official websitesees.com
Other
The brand continues to sell chocolates and candy through See's shops, seasonal locations, mail and phone ordering, and its online store, with a major emphasis on gifting and holiday assortments.
2020
See's Candies temporarily suspends operations during the COVID-19 pandemic[5]喜诗糖果在COVID-19大流行期间暂时中止运营en.wikipedia.org
Other · Regulation
The company paused operations in March 2020 and began restoring them roughly one month later after implementing safety measures.
2012
See's Candies creates the world's largest lollipop[5]喜诗糖果在COVID-19大流行期间暂时中止运营en.wikipedia.org
Campaign · Other
The company received Guinness World Records recognition for a chocolate lollipop weighing 7,003 pounds and measuring nearly six feet in height.
1985
See's becomes a frequently cited Berkshire Hathaway brand investment[3]Berkshire Hathaway 1985 annual letterberkshirehathaway.com
Pricing · Other
Warren Buffett's shareholder communications used See's as an example of a business benefiting from customer loyalty, brand strength, and the ability to raise prices without proportionate loss of demand.
1983
See's Candies becomes a frequently cited Berkshire Hathaway brand investment[6]时思糖果成为伯克希尔·哈撒韦常被提及的品牌投资案例berkshirehathaway.com
Other
Warren Buffett's shareholder communications used See's Candies to illustrate the importance of consumer goodwill, pricing power, and attractive economics in a branded business.
1972
Berkshire Hathaway acquires See's Candies[2]Berkshire Hathaway 1972 annual letterberkshirehathaway.com
M&A
Berkshire Hathaway purchased See's Candies, bringing the established California confectionery company into its portfolio of operating businesses.

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