Where does your money go at the gas station?
I heard a story on the way home on NPR that was quite surprising. In a nutshell, the average retailer's gross profit on a gallon of gas is only $.15. So where is your hard-earned $3-plus dollars per gallon going at the pump? Here's an interesting graphic:
So the retailers end up making most of their money from the items they sell in the store. I guess this is similar to movie theaters making all their money at the concession stand. And one of the biggest profit makers? Bottled water at 50-60%.
Top Sellers at Gas Station Stores
- Cigarettes (34.4 percent)
- Packaged beverages (13.8 percent)
- Beer (12.2 percent)
- Food service (12.1 percent)
- Other tobacco (3.8 percent)
- Candy (3.7 percent)
- Salty snacks (3.2 percent)
- General merchandise (2 percent)
- Fluid milk products (1.9 percent)
- Packaged sweet snacks (1.5 percent)
Source: National Association of Convenience Stores
