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Even when I worked as full-service attendant at a gas station forty years ago (yes, I’m the last of them), the owner told me there was little money in gas sales
by mikestew 2y ago
Even when I worked as full-service attendant at a gas station forty years ago (yes, I’m the last of them), the owner told me there was little money in gas sales, the profit came from the other stuff sold. Enough so that we got a commission on stuff like a quart of oil. And full-serve gas was priced such that it paid my meager wages.
My point being, there probably never was a lot of margin on fuel. Which is why I’m surprised that more convenience stores with fuel aren’t putting in chargers because now you’ve got a captive audience for 20 minutes. They’re getting there, though, as I see AM/PM stores with EVGo chargers now in the PNW. And at $0.45/kWh versus $0.11 at home, there is profit to be made on electrons, I imagine.
- atonse 2y agoI heard the same from a close friend whose family ran 3-4 gas stations. She said they essentially broke even on gas (something like 1-3 cents of profit per gallon), but made all their money on items inside (she/her family was Asian, so they made a killing cuz they had an asian-styled buffet in their gas station in a small town in Indiana, the only one of its kind for miles)
- mikestew 2y agosmall town in Indiana I was on the north side of Indianapolis, the wealthier side of town that could afford a 30% markup on a gallon of full-serve gas. Small Indiana town? Oh, yeah, I’d imagine they’d make a killing versus hot dogs that have been sitting on that roller thing all day. :-)