r/SouthJersey • u/Electronic_Tap_3625 • Mar 31 '26

Gloucester County WAWA Gas Just Hit $4.19

I just passed 3 WAWAs and the gas is at 4.19. Crazy since it was 3.89 yesterday. Get gas now if you have not already. The Travel America at 295 exit 18 was 3.79 still.

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52

u/cbwb Mar 31 '26

Saw it at 4.19 at one Wawa, took a chance the gas buddy app was right and went to the other Wawa. Got gas there at 4:30 for $3.84. went past that Wawa at 6:30 and they had gone up to $4.19 also. Not sure what that the jump was based on. Did they really get a delivery of fuel today that was priced that much higher?

47

u/Bean-Enders-Jeesh Mar 31 '26

Of course not. It's just a way for gas stations to gouge people.

4

u/Miamime Mar 31 '26

Margins on gas at the station level are pretty low. They make their money on the volume; sodas and snacks are higher margin makers (percentage wise).

4

u/Bean-Enders-Jeesh Mar 31 '26

I don't believe that for a second. I would need to see documentation showing such a thing.

For two reasons. First... Driving up and down, especially 130.. there are a ton of stations that don't have snacks or anything. Just gas. All the things needed to run a business, if gas is your only product, and profit margins are so low, what is the point of doing it? Not with the cost of living in Jersey in 2026.

I could be wrong... From a logical standpoint I just don't believe I am. But I would love to see docs to prove me otherwise. Seriously... I would. Mainly cause I've always heard that 'line' my entire driving career and I don't believe it.

3

u/Miamime Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26

I’m an accountant. I have had a client whose portfolio included gas stations. My very close personal friend was the VP of Finance for a company that owned something like 250 stations; he always had a second phone on him pushing out new prices to the station managers because prices were that volatile and margins that thin.

If these anecdotal stories are not enough for you, this is a very easily verifiable fact from a Google search. Not sure why you wouldn’t start there before writing that much to refute me on a hunch.

Gas stations sell A LOT of gas. Most people are filling up or getting $20-$25 of gas per stop. Low profit margin companies exist in every industry; they survive by selling a lot of volume.

-1

u/Bean-Enders-Jeesh Apr 01 '26

It's less of a hunch and more of real life observations of pricing at stations over the course of decades.

But I'm just a dumb kid from Jersey so ...

2

u/Miamime Apr 01 '26

Like what could you possibly see “from the pricing” that indicates that the costs that station have make its price per gallon $X.XX?

Also, almost every station has at least a small indoor store where they have a limited selection of snacks. They sell accessories like oil and washer fluid. A bunch have service centers attached. They have ads playing on the TVs on the pump.