by John Keller | Nov 19, 2010 | Industry News, Retail Fuel Margins
Retail fuel margins were a key factor in the financial results reported by TravelCenters of America for the three months ended September 30, 2010. Highlights of the report:
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- Total retail fuel sales were approximately $1.193 billion across 229 sites. That calculates to an average retail fuel sales per site of approximately $5.209 million, or $1.736 million per site per month.
- Same site retail fuel sales volume increased 5.6% over Q3 of 2009.
- Total gross retail fuel margins were $74.6 million, which is $14.2 million higher for the third quarter of 2010 than the third quarter of 2009.
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The report doesn’t explicitly list the retail fuel margins per gallon, but if average fuel prices were in the $3/gallon range, that would equate to a $.17 to $.18 margin per gallon.
The report listed one primary reason for the improved retail fuel margins as being a greater number of days of declining fuel commodity prices throughout the third quarter of 2010, as compared to the same quarter of the prior year. “Although other factors have an effect, retail fuel margins per gallon tend to be lower during periods of rising fuel prices and higher during periods of falling fuel prices” the report said.
by John Keller | Nov 15, 2010 | Retail Fuel Margins
Delek US announced in its 2010 Q3 results that retail fuel margins increased to 19.6 cents per gallon with total gallons sold of 108.2m across their 420 c-store locations. That works out to be 85,873 gallons per month at each store.
Their retail fuel margin of 19.6 cents per gallon is 1.6 cents up from their retail fuel margins for the same quarter last year. Delek attributed their retail fuel margin gains to their E-10 blended fuel program and their strategic fuel price management efforts.
Same store fuel gallons sold increased 5.2% in the quarter. Their total number of c-stores was down to 420 locations from 452 locations the previous year. Delek operates under the MAPCO brand name in the Southeast US, more than half of which are in Tennessee.
These earnings reflect another data point as evidence to a strong 2010 across the retail fuel industry.
by John Keller | Nov 10, 2010 | Fuel Price Management, Industry News
In the November 9, 2011 edition of the US Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook report, the US government predicts unleaded retail prices to average $2.84/gallon this winter. That’s $.19 per gallon higher than last winter. This prediction is based on a model where West Texas Intermediate crude oil averages $83 per barrel. That’s a $5.50 per barrel increase over last winter. The model includes a 2010 forecasted growth in the US gross domestic product of 2.6%, and 2.2% growth in 2011. World oil consumption is predicted to grow 3.9% in 2010 and 3.3% in 2011.
If the US EIA’s predictions prove to be correct, unleaded retail fuel price averages will be $.02 less than they are as of the week of November 8, 2010.
by John Keller | Nov 10, 2010 | Customer News, Fuel Price Management Solutions, PriceAdvantage
Royal Farms is now using PriceAdvantage as their exclusive fuel price management solution at all 95 stores. With PriceAdvantage, Royal Farms has fully automated their fuel price management system, giving them complete command and control over the Skyline electronic price sign, POS, and pump for all retail fuel price changes. Fuel price optimization now happens in minutes, as Royal Farms headquarters sends the price of the day each morning via PriceAdvantage, and receives a confirmation date and time stamp when the price change is complete.
by John Keller | Oct 19, 2010 | Fuel Price Management, Fuel Pricing Strategy, Industry News
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal quotes Xavier Mosquet, Sr. Director and Managing Partner (Detroit) of Boston Consulting Group, as saying fuel prices must be at $8 to $9 per gallon before electric cars will be cost effective for buyers. This takes into consideration the lack of US government incentives that can’t go on forever. Mr. Mosquet goes on to say that a fuel price of $4 per gallon, with current government incentives, will support electric car sales representing only 5% of the market by 2020.
So why the big push for electric vehicles from auto makers?
- US EPA credits that allow manufacturers to build more profitable luxury cars and trucks.
- California mandates that the top six car manufacturers offer a zero emission model in 2012 or pay severe fines.
As Fuel Managers peer over the horizon to see when electric vehicles should be folded into their fuel pricing strategy, a wait and see attitude may be best for the next five years so as not to get distracted from the core business.
The entire WSJ article is worth reading here.
