Fox Business reports that "membership-only warehouse rivals Costco and Sam's Club are trying to dominate the gas business as prices of fuel nationwide continue to skyrocket. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline reached $4.173 as of Tuesday, climbing 50 cents from a week earlier, according to AAA data."
Walmart's position is that at Sam's Club, "its members pay less at the pump than the average consumer due to 'member-exclusive prices.'
"Additionally, the company said its members can earn Sam’s Cash on eligible purchases at gas stations with their Sam’s Club Mastercard."
Costco's argument is simpler - it price checks all its competitors to make sure it has the lowest prices in the markets it serves.
Fox Business makes the point that the gas competition is unlikely to end anytime soon: "Crude prices will likely continue to soar as the war between Russia and Ukraine escalates, according to AAA. Since the price of oil accounts for 50% of what consumers pay at the pump, consumers will continue to feel the pain."
- KC's View:
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With impeccable timing, I've been driving a lot this week, to places where it seemed a lot more sensible to get there via car than any other way. Didn't always feel that way when I was spending $4.45/gallon on gas for the Mustang … but I managed to coax close to 30 MPG out of the old girl, so that helped.
