I think they will before long. First one just opened by Theisens this week and it has been packed every time I've been by.I'm shocked that Ames doesn't have multiple Kwik Stars.
Pretty simple. College town and lead up to college resuming. Similar to the lead up to and during holidays. You see the same thing for concerts, and businesses tied to travel.
And ankenyIt's that in part, but there's also more to it.
In the middle of July, Ames was still 45-50 cents higher than Fort Dodge.
The only gas stations in Ames are Kum & Go and Casey's, and even at that there are 7 K&G's vs 3 Casey's. They can pretty much sat the price at whatever they want. Hoping Kwik Star coming to town breeds some more competition.
It's the Gary Thompson effect. He owns the distribution company (Gary Thompson Oil) for most fuel in and around Ames.
It's the Gary Thompson effect. He owns the distribution company (Gary Thompson Oil) for most fuel in and around Ames.
Why would hyvee want to undercut themselves?Seriously? I wondered if it was something like that. However, it seems that big companies like HyVee could find a way to source cheaper if he overcharges.
Why would hyvee want to undercut themselves?
It's that in part, but there's also more to it.
In the middle of July, Ames was still 45-50 cents higher than Fort Dodge.
3.53 this morning.Ft. Dodge actually dropped prices for state softball, they are higher now than then. CR and DM are pretty low MC isn't super competitive right now they were 3.30 for unleaded 88.
It’s just higher demand lol. Higher demand leads to higher prices. It’s not some grand conspiracy lolWhat college town effect?
Or does it have nothing to do with a college town effect? Is there someone or a few people who just informally agree to keep prices higher in Ames.
- Students can pay more because of their student loans?
- High professional double-incomes/no kids households?
- University contracts for fuel prop up prices for everyone?
- Ripe for cartels and/or price-fixing like apartment pricing and turnover.
It has nothing to do with timing of students moving in. It's ALWAYS higher in Ames and Iowa City.
After a person's first couple trips to towns like that you learn to fill up elsewhere on the way or on the way home.
That said, there has always been some kind of local price fixing going on. I've driven by stations of different brands after midnight in different parts of town that have the same price - then drove by them early the next morning on the way to work and somehow in that 5 hour overnight time they both magically decided to raise their prices from the same identical low price to a newer identical high price.
Yea I got the UNL88 at the Ames station a few days ago. Couldn’t believe how much cheaper it was. Kwik Star has their own supplier/distributor for the 88, maybe Thompson supplies the other blends?