WalMart saved each American household $2,329 in 2004 2848

On Fri, 24 Mar 2006, BroTher zAchary

Unless the "independent" is violating his contract, he cannot sell gas at any other price than his supplier dictates. WalMart, or whomever big chain or whatever, may be buying such megatons of gas that they can negotiate a lower (discount) price and contract to sell, without a price control from the supplier, at a lower margin and make up for it with volume. My brother ran a gas station for a few years and told me this. I thought it was price-fixing but that's the way the contracts are written. Its a "take it or leave it" deal. I don't know if there is a true "independent" that can buy, say, "residual" or "surplus" gas at some discount and then sell it at whatever price he wants. This model was confirmed in a radio interview I listened to back after Katrina hit and all the gas prices went up. And, I read about this model in a more than usual newspaper article, too. So, yes, they were undercutting the small operator.

But

One of the reasons my brother got OUT of the automobile gas-repair work was that he didn't make any money on selling gas.

Sorry, but the cheaper gas is a better

Yes, I buy the cheapest gas, too.

I likewise refuse to do business with gas stations

So do I.