Yeah, gas stations in competitive areas will even occasionally sell gas at a minor loss, to drive more traffic into the lobby where they make the vast bulk of their profit. Gas station pump prices are almost universally determined by the price they can get their fuel at. And that price isn’t set by the station, it is set by the refineries and distributors, who largely base their prices off of oil futures. And oil futures don’t give a fuck what current oil prices are. If gas prices are high right now, it’s because gas distributors expect the price of oil to go up again.
Yeah, gas stations in competitive areas will even occasionally sell gas at a minor loss, to drive more traffic into the lobby where they make the vast bulk of their profit. Gas station pump prices are almost universally determined by the price they can get their fuel at. And that price isn’t set by the station, it is set by the refineries and distributors, who largely base their prices off of oil futures. And oil futures don’t give a fuck what current oil prices are. If gas prices are high right now, it’s because gas distributors expect the price of oil to go up again.