I remember the oil crisis from the 1970's when I was growing up. A habit I picked up from my parents during the crisis was to keep a mental catalog of which gas stations had the best pricing. I tend to notice the day-to-day changes as I drive around town.
There's a BP and a Speedway which I pass on my way to and from work each day. As gas prices dropped from $4 to near $1.50 per gallon over the past few months, the two stations moved prices down in tandem — the BP's pricing was within 2 cents of Speedway's, usually higher.
A few weeks ago, the BP started pricing 15 to 20 cents higher, and they have remained about 6 to 10 cents higher since.
As I watched these fluctuations, I wondered how people shopped for gas, and if BP might be taking advantage of a particular customer behavior… Do they take advantage of people who shop at BP no matter what?
So we'd like to know: How do you shop for gasoline? Here are a few of the ways in which people might shop for gas. Let us know if any of these match how you look for gas, or if you use a different strategy:
- Lowest Price: Shop for the lowest price, even if you need to drive a little further.
- Certain Brand: Try to go to the same brand, regardless of location (Shell, BP, Speedway, Sam's, etc.)
- Neighborhood: Look for a station that's close to home (or work)
Has your shopping for gas changed at all since the prices have come down, or do you still go to the same places?
I look forward to seeing your comments.
[where: 900 Winchester Rd, Lexington, KY 40507]