BP, whom we all know as the featured star in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, has understandably seen a decline in retail sales of gasoline. While retaliation by boycotting BP-branded has stations originally seemed to be more symbolic than effectual, apparently enough people are avoiding the brand to bother local station owners.
In an effort to placate distributors and station owners, BP has lowered the price of gasoline by up to two cents. This price drop has no direct effect on what drivers pay at the station, however. Independent distributors will be able to pay a lower price to BP, but those savings may not be passed onto the local stations. There’s even a smaller chance, even if the savings are passed onto the stations, that consumers will see a break at the gas pump.
Have you avoided BP’s gasoline stations? There is one BP station on my daily commute and another a few miles from my apartment. I don’t normally visit either station, so my non-patronage has had no effect on the company or its distributors or station owners. Boycotting gas stations hurts the wrong side of the industry — and it’s in BP’s best interest to get behind its stations.
Updated October 12, 2016 and originally published August 6, 2010.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I have always pumped Shell, so I guess I’m boycotting all other gas stations/brands in that sense. But I’m not making extra efforts to avoid them by any means.
Living in southern Louisiana, I certainly understand the frustration that the locals have here. Unfortunately, boycotting BP stations are really just hurting the local business owners who franchise the BP stations.
I use Shell gas for the most part, though I’m willing to use Chevron on occasion. I operate on the notion that they sell the “healthiest” gasoline for my vehicle.
Ever since my favorite local NON-BP gas station began charging different prices of gas for credit card and cash transactions in 2008, I converted to gas stations that have single pricing for credit card and cash transactions. In my area, that meant that I had to become a patronage of BP and Mobil Exxon gas stations. So, I have been a happy patronage of 2/3 BP gas stations in my area, and few Mobil Exxon (the 1/3 BP station I avoided due to different prices for cash credit)..
The only BP-owned stations in my area (that I’m aware of) are Arco, whose prices are lower than all of the other stations, presumably because they don’t accept credit cards (and debit cards have per-transaction fees). Their prices have gone up in line with everyone else’s in recent weeks/months.
I go there sometimes and don’t go there sometimes. I’m in the (bad) habit of filling up when I’m running on fumes, so I mostly go to the closest place when I need gas.
Yes, I have decided to consciously avoid BP stations. Fortunately, I live in a very large metropolitan area, so I have no problem finding a station.