
Gas Stations Feel the Squeeze as Wholesale Fuel Costs Rise
Gas-station owners are feeling the pinch as wholesale fuel costs rise, credit-card fees and labor costs climb, and margins thin. With stations largely small businesses and the wholesale-retail gap averaging about 22 cents per gallon (about 38.3 cents in gross margin over five years), some operators—like those in Sonoma Valley, CA, and Nutley, NJ—are considering stopping fuel sales or shifting to repairs if prices stay high. Customers are buying less per visit, and price cuts typically lag behind wholesale declines, even as geopolitical tensions add pressure on prices.













