Discussions

I know the local gas stations don't set the prices, but how do the gas moguls explain that the Winnipeg prices can be 11 cents cheaper than Brandons for over a week? Well according to GasBuddy.  
 
Winnipegs prices have been around 96.9, while Brandon's is still 107.9.

With the difference in prices it basically explains who we are as Canadians. We are a complacent bunch, we don't have the backbone to try to change things and are willing to take the loss to our own pocket book for the sake of not trying to change things or upsetting others. I think this is a silly idea, any of us who are in private business realize that there are no garentees and sometimes you take a hit, yes I'm talking boycott.

I have said before, our locally owned Coop gas stations should be leading the way. As owners of said Coops we should be demanding that the board of directors institute a policy of one price across the province. Why should we pay more as members than other Coops in the same province.  
Because my business takes me that way I buy gas in Austin and MacGregor all the time because they have the same price as Winnipeg.

If one store sells ten times the number of items per hour that another store does, they can sell for cheaper. Winnipeg has a higher per hour selling rate.  
 
Also, the tank of gas being sold now was bought at a higher rate and needs to be emptied before the cheaper tank can be sold. It will take longer to happen in Brandon because of lower volume of sales.  
 
Co-ops each have their own circle of outlets. My "Heritage Co-op" number is useless in Portage because that is a different business. My dividends are based on what happens in the Heritage outlets. Why should another business give me a discount?

katwalk1909 said "If one store sells ten times the number of items per hour that another store does, they can sell for cheaper. Winnipeg has a higher per hour selling rate.     Also, the tank of gas being sold now was bought at a higher rate and needs to be emptied before the cheaper tank can be sold. It will take longer to happen in Brandon because of lower volume of sales.     Co-ops each have their own circle of outlets. My "Heritage Co-op" number is useless in Portage because that is a different business. My dividends are based on what happens in the Heritage outlets. Why should another business give me a discount? "

By your logic if the store bought it cheap then it should stay cheap until the tank is emptied? Don't see it happening this way. There is more to it than that I'm sure.

While I agree in principal with what you are saying, your arguments are flawed when it comes to the price of gas.  
 
Does Wpg have a higher per hour selling rate? There are more people there, but a lot more gas stations. Also, that doesn't explain the price of gas at Austin or Macgregor. I'm guessing that their volume is less than Bdn, yet they are cheaper than Bdn.  
 
If the storage tanks at the pumps need to be emptied before the cheaper tanks can be sold, how come all stations change their price of gas pretty much at the same time? Shouldn't there be days, if not weeks, before some pumps change prices when they get cheaper inventory?  
 
I think that the correct term for the price of gas in Bdn is called "gouging."

katwalk1909 said "If one store sells ten times the number of items per hour that another store does, they can sell for cheaper. Winnipeg has a higher per hour selling rate.     Also, the tank of gas being sold now was bought at a higher rate and needs to be emptied before the cheaper tank can be sold. It will take longer to happen in Brandon because of lower volume of sales.     Co-ops each have their own circle of outlets. My "Heritage Co-op" number is useless in Portage because that is a different business. My dividends are based on what happens in the Heritage outlets. Why should another business give me a discount? "

The suggestion that a tank of gas was bought at a higher price is absolute B.S. When gas all goes up in every station on the same day using your logic every station should not raise there gas that day because they just got a new load,but it happens in Brandon and that excuse is really old now.  
 
Brandon just has a cartel of monopolistic gas station owners who will deny it and they collude with each other. That's why when going to Winnipeg or elsewhere you should go with an empty tank and fill up elsewhere before coming home

Always seems to jump up right before a long weekend too.

Like many things in life, gas prices are basically uncontrollable.  
 
So like everything else, you have to make do. The less fuel you consume in your day to day life, the cheaper your bill will be. Be it relaxing the gas pedal a bit (this city IS known for moving at 10km/h over the speed limit), or losing the gas guzzlers . . . you do what you can.  
Its much more productive than boycotting or flapping lips every time this inevitable happens. And it will keep happening.  
 
Gurenteed.  
 
I feel for businesses, anyone with a fleet to feed. There is not much to be done there (though the taxi industry has done great things in this regard, with the primary use of hybrids).  
As for those that just continue as is while just complaining . . . I have much less sympathy.  
 
Edited by Simonwalcal, 2017-04-25 13:19:31

Just drove by 99.9

Here in Neepawa just went from 107.9 to 100.9 at 2 of our 3 stations...

Actually ours should have read 108.9 to 100.9

Have always wondered why gas in Neepawa is always 1 cent higher. More gas stations there, more competition - wouldn't it make sense for it to be lower?

CatMan said "Have always wondered why gas in Neepawa is always 1 cent higher. More gas stations there, more competition - wouldn't it make sense for it to be lower? "

Yes, I've wondered the same thing. But I think it's just because these stations are right on the highway and long distance travellers will pay what ever they have to.. Whereas you stations are right in town and not getting all the highway traffic... That's all I can think of for a reason.. Who the hell knows though..

Something that's been bugging me in the last few years is why Russell and Roblin compete in having the highest gas prices in Westman. They are usually atleast 5 cents more per liter then Swan River.  
 
Yeah, gas is down now, a week after I last filled up. Oh well. Its not the first time and likely won't be the last either.

How about the gas station up on the Trans Canada that is usually always 2 or 3 cents a liter higher then the stations directly across the road. They also usually don't have the price on the sign so people have no idea unless they look at the pump before they start. I am sure they get all kinds of travelers that don't realize it. About as sleazy as it gets.

Gas there is 101.4

A significant factor in the price discrepancy between Winnipeg and Brandon is the fact that there are 3 Costcos in Winnipeg. Yes, you can squarely lay the blame on Costco.  
 
Costcos strategy is to sell gas (which it gets cheap to begin with due to economy of scale) far below market value, even sometimes at a slight loss. It does this because their internal strategists have determined that the increased traffic to their stores leaves them with a net overall gain through increased sales of merchandise.  
 
This forces the other gas stations to keep their gas prices as low as they feasibly can. But they can never beat Costco, cause snacks and goodies just don't offset gas sold at loss quite like $750+ loaded shopping carts.

I don't think its as simple as that - how many Costco's are there in Melfort, Sask? Gas is 95.9 there.

JackAzz said "I don't think its as simple as that - how many Costco's are there in Melfort, Sask? Gas is 95.9 there. "

Saskatchewan is closer to refineries, so you might expect a trend of lower prices due to lower costs of logistics, not always, but usually.  
There's other reasons, local price wars, or a station dumping their stock so they can buy wholesale at different price, and competitors adjusting their prices to compete.  
It's not ALWAYS Costco, in every city, but in Winnipeg and most others it's true.  
 
And Melforts 95.9 isn't cheap compared to Regina's 90 or Winnipegs 93

8:30 pm Superstore is at 107.9. Did they ever go down to 99.9 or is gas jumping up again?

Other then COOP I believe most of the gas is hauled from the pipeline close to Winnipeg. Closer you are to Winnipeg cheaper you can sell the gas.

they only have 2 gas bars in wpg, not sure you can blame the whole cheep gas on that.

This was a few years ago, but there was a case of gas price fixing in Ontario and the gas stations concerned got into big trouble and accused of criminal price fixing!!  
Maybe something needs to happen here?  
 
https://www.thestar.com/business/2012/03/21/canadian_tire_pleads_guilty_to_gas_price_fixing.html  
 
Some posters say that we should get a bike or cheaper transport? Sounds like a rich vs poor attitude to me!  
 
Why should we be forced to use alternative transport because of greedy companies? Maybe a farmer should buy pull along implements and use horses or bikes? Its the same thing as telling motorists who live out of town and people who need bigger vehicles to buy a cheaper vehicle or bike to get around, if we don't like paying more.  
 
Yes call people who keep moaning and don't like being screwed whiners, but why can't everyone have a right to complain.  
 
Sticking your head in the sand accomplishes nothing, although I agree that just moaning about it is the same as sticking your head in the sand.  
 
High gas prices hurt everything! Not just how much you spend filling up your car. It affects everyday items. So when gas goes up, we all pay for it in someway or another!  
 
Communities need to stick together on issues like this no matter how big or small we are!  
 
Edited by , 2017-04-27 09:33:54

Gas in Vancouver today = 1.37/L  
Vancouver Island 1.28 to 1.32/L

Vancouver charges GST,PST,plus 15 cents Transit tax and $6.67 Carbon tax per litre.  
MB. does not charge PST or carbon tax ( yet ) .  
as per : Gas Buddy

ZEEKE said "Vancouver charges GST,PST,plus 15 cents Transit tax and $6.67 Carbon tax per litre.   MB. does not charge PST or carbon tax ( yet ) .   as per : Gas Buddy "

You beat me to it! But yes you are correct. Kind of like comparing an apple to an orange. A big factor is where Vancouver gets its gas. Although there is a small refinery in Burnaby and crude oil and gas flowing in from Edmonton via Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline, most depend on refineries in the U.S. for much of Vancouver's supply.  
 
FYI gas is a 1.93 USD$ in Hong Kong or roughly $2.63 Canadian  
 
Edited by TWENTY, 2017-04-27 11:47:13

What some people forget is the price discrepancy between here and Winnipeg, even Austin.  
 
It doesn't matter whether I'm driving a gas guzzler getting 10 MPG, or a very fuel efficient vehicle getting 60+ MPG, or I'm using 200 litres of fuel a year or 20,000 litres, I don't want to pay 11 cents a litre more for my gas than Winnipeg, or even Austin.  
 
Shipping charges between here and Austin can't be that much different either, yet Austin is comparable in price to Winnipeg.  
 
I may be imagining this, but it seems the price in Bdn drops when people come on here and complain about it. Or it is a coincidence.

ZachT said "What some people forget is the price discrepancy between here and Winnipeg, even Austin.     It doesn't matter whether I'm driving a gas guzzler getting 10 MPG, or a very fuel efficient vehicle getting 60+ MPG, or I'm using 200 litres of fuel a year or 20,000 litres, I don't want to pay 11 cents a litre more for my gas than Winnipeg, or even Austin.     Shipping charges between here and Austin can't be that much different either, yet Austin is comparable in price to Winnipeg.     I may be imagining this, but it seems the price in Bdn drops when people come on here and complain about it. Or it is a coincidence. "

Austin Co-op is part of Portage Co-op so yes transportation costs aren't the same.  
 
And yes you are imagining things. The companies don't care what a bunch of anonymous people on eBrandon are complaining about today.

Thought I would put this in because someone mentioned that I sometimes make people mad. I read through these stories about gas prices and I am one that doesn''t believe there is a plan to keep prices up, maybe I''m naive, but I believe that the people who run the gas stations do the same as just about everyone in business.  
Being ignorant of one fact can lead to a lot of speculation. The fact I''m talking of is who owns the fuel that is delivered to the gas stations, is it the parent company or the station, I''ve heard two stories on this and it would be nice to know.  
People tell me that when I mention the word boycott I make a lot of enemies, but I would question why. Consumers boycott products or companies all the time, and people have losses all the time. In the year 2016, any person who purchased cattle and sold that same animals in the same year likely lost money, when the price got to high people quit buying beef, that is a consumer boycott. Same goes when someone tenders for anything, not everyone gets business, and it can be for a variety of reasons, cost being one of them.  
When prices get out of line consumers will ask why, and if consumers boycott a store, everyone should realize it''s not personal it''s business, and I've been on the wrong end of the stick many times.  
 
Edited by don brown, 2017-04-27 19:59:35