I'm one of those loss leader gas stations, but I don't make much on my gas. Most days we loose 4-6 cents per gallon....I make money on the inside of the store in merchandise sales.

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Sheetz has the consistently lowest prices in this area just a few miles from a major tank farm. The same tanker fills up the stations, yet the price can vary by as much as .25/gal at stations within 10 miles of each other. Methinks your version is not universal...they charge what they "can" imo :(

Edited...applies to Wallmart too... stores just a few miles apart might charge 20% more for ammo (as an example)....ymmv.

The wholesale price for CARBOB regular unleaded at LA harbor today is $1.59, up from $1.52 earlier this week. (public info).

Once you factor in taxes and distributing costs, he is definitely NOT getting rich off gasoline at $2.33

Hopefully he sells lots of Doritos and snickers bars.

The moral of the story is:
the oil companies chase pennies on the gallon.
The retainers chase pennies on the gallon.

The only party that is getting rich is the GUBMINT who is chasing a dollar on the gallon.

Every station (or brand) has a marketing strategy.

Take ARCO for example:
their strategy is to sell a very large volume of good quality gasoline for break-even or a slight loss, which brings lots of cars in to buy junk food which has a huge mark-up.
And it works.

Yet right across the street can be a shell or chevron that charges a whole lot MORE than the ARCO station. And there are cars filling up on the same friggin gas that costs 20% more there.

They have a different marketing strategy:
They are willing to sell fewer gallons of gas as long as they make a decent profit on every one of them, and make a few bux on junk food too.

Both of these strategies work because the consumer is generally foolish and dumb.
He can easily be convinced that cheaper is bad and more expensive is gooder.

You get what you pay for :rolleyes:


If so I have a gallon of gas I'm willing to sell for $1 million.
It must be the best gas ever, right?

Do I get a 4 cent discount if I pay cash?

I understand different marketing strategies between brands, but that doesn't explain the variance between Sheetz stations that are being filled from the same Sheetz truck imo. They are all the same (pretty decent food inside too) but stations just a few miles apart charge what they "can" get away with it seems.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

It's called free market enterprise, supply and demand.
It is the best, most pure, most efficient system ever devised.

You as the consumer have choices. You can pay more or you can pay less. All you have to do is drive a couple more miles!

If the local guy figures out the consumer will drive to get cheaper gas, he'll lower his price or sell less!
And there is nothing wrong with that.
Charging what the market will bear is what made our economy so strong.
it lets the consumer have a say in pricing.

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Chicago 1981, filled up the 16 gallon tank on my 1966 Mustang.............the pump said it took 24 gallons.

Heated discussion followed suit, had to assume the cops were in on it when the owner said he was calling the cops if I didn't pay up.

The city that works.

Ditto Oregon. I witnessed one at work some time back. Not just volume, they also test for advertised octane. % of alcohol, etc.