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Consumers Hold Misconceptions About Fuel Retailers

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — New research findings released today by NACS put a spotlight on convenience stores, fuel retailing and consumers’ misperceptions about them, notably that retailers make 48 cents per gallon in profit after expenses. The reality is, they only make about 2 to 4 cents per gallon, according to the 2012 NACS Consumer Fuels Report. Additionally, the majority of consumers...
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Sky-high gas prices loom

It’s only mid-February, but energy analysts already are warning of a perfect storm that could drive gasoline prices to all-time highs when the weather warms up. The latest evidence came in Tuesday’s monthly California gas price survey released by AAA. AAA said the average statewide price of regular unleaded gasoline climbed 15 cents from last month to $3.85 a gallon. That’s on...
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Tesoro to Replace Dealers at 240 West Coast Stations

Switching to its own operators, rebranding to USA from ARCO, Thrifty SAN ANTONIO — Tesoro Corp. plans to rebrand 241 stations in southern California to its USA flag and will replace the dealers currently leasing the outlets with its own commission operators, CSP Daily News has learned. The stations are owned by long-time chain marketer Thrifty Oil but had been leased to BP for the last 20...
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E85’s Price Crunch

With VEETC expired, retailers try to make the numbers work OAK BROOK, Ill. — Consider it lucky timing. With the expiration of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) at the end of 2011, retailers selling ethanol blends faced an immediate price increase. For those selling E85, the impact was potentially more dramatic, considering that VEETC granted a 38.5-cent credit per gallon,...
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Is E85 on the Rocks?

Number of pumps may be halved by end of 2012 GREENVILLE, S.C. — On January 1, the petroleum-retailing industry awoke to a nation without a Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC). The tax credit, which provided 45 cents to blenders and fuel marketers for each gallon of pure ethanol blended into gasoline, was arguably the greatest driving force behind the spread of E85 in recent...
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An Explanation of Sale-Leasebacks

By Robert E. Bainbridge Since 2006, a growing number of convenience retailers have adopted a strategy of leasing new stores rather than owning, according to industry figures. This trend peaked in 2008 with 72 percent of all new stores being leased, often through sale-leasebacks. An explanation of sale-leaseback transactions is provided below by industry experts John C. Flippen Jr. and John...
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