Gasoline Prices Up & Down Like a Yo-Yo

[RollingsFarms]

A freind of a friend knows someone that owns 3 convenience stores on the same road all about a mile apart here where I live. The gas prices are different at all three. He says the reason is his overhead, sales, thefts, liability, the neighborhood, etc... are different at all three stations. As for the wild swings, that is dictated by his supplier. He only makes about 10 cents per gallon profit. He says his major profit is all the junk, food and drinks he sells in the store that people buy when getting gas.

I've heard that song and dance many a time. my questions are this: why have a business in a bad part of town to begin with? in my experience the gas stations in the bad part of town were cheaper by .10 sometimes then the ones located in the middle of fancy sub divisions full of doctors and lawyers I would also ask him why the prices of his cigarettes, soft drinks, chips, and other junk food doesn't fluctuate WEEKLY like gas prices do. I would then ask him why even bother selling gas if it's not making a outstanding profit. permits, updates on the tanks, constructions, all that stuff sure ain't cheap only to make a measly "dime a gallon profit". ever noticed one of those stores where the building is pretty much falling down, dust on the bags of junkfood inside, hot soft drinks in the fridge, flies all over the place, yet they have BRAND NEW state of the art gas pumps. please....they make more then you think they make or there wouldnt be that many in the business of selling gas. you'd see more places getting out of it and sticking with the junk food, lottery tickets, and soft drinks.

 

[Bird]

A freind of a friend knows someone that owns 3 convenience stores on the same road all about a mile apart here where I live. The gas prices are different at all three. He says the reason is his overhead, sales, thefts, liability, the neighborhood, etc... are different at all three stations. As for the wild swings, that is dictated by his supplier. He only makes about 10 cents per gallon profit. He says his major profit is all the junk, food and drinks he sells in the store that people buy when getting gas.

I sometimes wonder what kind of profit the stores are making on gasoline. Back in the 50s, when we were selling gasoline for 30 cents a gallon or less, we made 3 cents a gallon markup. We didn't own the property itself so we paid one cent a gallon rent. In those days, the gasoline sales were supposed to cover your overhead. Your "profit" was in lube jobs, oil & filter changes, wash jobs, tires & tire repair, fan belts, radiator hoses, and such. But of course we didn't have all the groceries and restaurant stuff they have now.

 

[Western]

Did you guys see any of the national news tonight or even your local news? forecasters saying possibly $4 regular by May, of course it's blamed on the middle East tensions again.

 

[Bird]

Did you guys see any of the national news tonight or even your local news? forecasters saying possibly $4 regular by May, of course it's blamed on the middle East tensions again.

I missed that on the news, but it sure won't surprise me.

 

[MossRoad]

I've heard that song and dance many a time. my questions are this: why have a business in a bad part of town to begin with? in my experience the gas stations in the bad part of town were cheaper by .10 sometimes then the ones located in the middle of fancy sub divisions full of doctors and lawyers I would also ask him why the prices of his cigarettes, soft drinks, chips, and other junk food doesn't fluctuate WEEKLY like gas prices do. I would then ask him why even bother selling gas if it's not making a outstanding profit. permits, updates on the tanks, constructions, all that stuff sure ain't cheap only to make a measly "dime a gallon profit". ever noticed one of those stores where the building is pretty much falling down, dust on the bags of junkfood inside, hot soft drinks in the fridge, flies all over the place, yet they have BRAND NEW state of the art gas pumps. please....they make more then you think they make or there wouldnt be that many in the business of selling gas. you'd see more places getting out of it and sticking with the junk food, lottery tickets, and soft drinks.

This guy's prices are pretty consistently higher in the bad neighborhood and cheaper as you go out of town. Its only pennies difference, but it is difference.

 

[kensnelling]

Our gas prices increased last night by 10 cents. However, after reading some of the other posts ours doesn't seem so bad. Our gas price is sitting at $3.19 now, was $2.95 3 weeks ago.

Ken

 

[Bird]

Our gas prices increased last night by 10 cents. However, after reading some of the other posts ours doesn't seem so bad. Our gas price is sitting at $3.19 now, was $2.95 3 weeks ago.

Ken

I just filled up at Sam's Club for $3.299, but QuikTrip and RaceTrac are $3.319 to $3.349 today.

 

[dmccarty]

Filled up the truck today with diesel at $3.89. It has been at that price or close to it for months. I meant to check my log book to see how many months I have been paying at that point but I started thinking about work and a meeting first thing this morning. I would guess the price has been this way for a year or so.

Later,
Dan

 

[jonyyuma]

Well it climbed to 3.35 a gallon today for walmart{MURPHY}....Diesel cheap at 3.79..gallon..Promising 45 cent a gallon more before Memorial day, JUST because they can??

 

[jinman]

After posts to this thread, I was afraid that prices at my local Walmart/Murphy station would go up on diesel. So, on Monday, I went there and bought another 30 gallons of diesel for my TLB. I was thrilled that their price was still $3.599 and had not gone up. I checked prices online this morning and they are up to $3.659, so I guess I got under the wire. Regular gas has gone up too. It's $3.369, up from $3.349 on Monday; not huge increases. All these prices can be dropped $.03 per gallon by purchasing a gift card.