Gas Stations Dropping Brand Names

[Alpha8472]

I just saw a longtime Valero gas station in Dublin, California drop the Valero name. It is now an independent station selling gas at $4.75 a gallon in the San Francisco Bay Area where gas is $5.99.
I would consider this a bargain.

Do independent stations do better or do brand name gas stations do better?

Have you seen more independent stations appear recently?

[Brian Lutz]

There's a station on SR-9 a bit north of Woodinville that recently dropped 76 branding and now uses generic branding on its pumps, As noted in another thread, there are also a few stations in this area that have switched from 76 to Marathon or Mobil branding recently. As gas prices have gone up dramatically it does seem that people tend to move away from brand name gas and toward generic stations that may have lower prices (in particular some of the stations on tribal land seem to be busy as those aren't subject to all of the same gas taxes as the stations elsewhere) but Costco gas also seems popular right now as well.

Another factor that seems to come into play is that some of the unbranded gas stations distinguish themselves by selling ethanol free gas, which I don't think any of the brand name stations do here.

[pseudo3d]

One thing I've noticed is "Valero Discount Fleet" signage appearing at some Valero stations, especially independent ones or ones that have not upgraded signage yet. But unless an operator is going to make some sort of unified branding attempt of the convenience store and the gas station brand, dropping a brand name without replacement is going to be almost universally a bad thing.

[rwsandiego]

There's a station on SR-9 a bit north of Woodinville that recently dropped 76 branding and now uses generic branding on its pumps, As noted in another thread, there are also a few stations in this area that have switched from 76 to Marathon or Mobil branding recently....

There are at least three (that I know of) 76 stations in central Phoenix that have converted to a no-name format (The Pit Stop, I think). All three were older, somewhat run-down stations. On the other hand, a Mobil converted to 76 near downtown Phoenix. It was a run-down station that has since been remodeled and had new pumps installed. They also sell gas for just slightly more than Circle K.

BTW: $4.75/gallon is not much more than the price in Phoenix.

[Super S]

There's a station on SR-9 a bit north of Woodinville that recently dropped 76 branding and now uses generic branding on its pumps, As noted in another thread, there are also a few stations in this area that have switched from 76 to Marathon or Mobil branding recently. As gas prices have gone up dramatically it does seem that people tend to move away from brand name gas and toward generic stations that may have lower prices (in particular some of the stations on tribal land seem to be busy as those aren't subject to all of the same gas taxes as the stations elsewhere) but Costco gas also seems popular right now as well.

Another factor that seems to come into play is that some of the unbranded gas stations distinguish themselves by selling ethanol free gas, which I don't think any of the brand name stations do here.

I have noticed a bit of shifting around recently. I have seen one 76 station revert to unbranded fuel, an unbranded station become 76, two Shell stations become Chevron, one Chevron become Mobil, and a gas station that was a cardlock only for several years reopen as a convenience store and Shell station, although the gas pumps are not on yet.

Ironically, one of the cheapest stations around is at the Ilani casino, which happens to be a Chevron.

Several stations have the ethanol free gas, and at the Chevron stations there is wording that it is "NOT A CHEVRON PRODUCT" but it is more than the Chevron fuel.

The Texaco name seems to be fading away, but there are a few stations hanging on to the branding.

[storewanderer]

Some movement in my area the past couple months

Long-time Chevron in Gardnerville, NV in front of the Raleys switched to Valero- got new pumps in the process
Former Arco that had been independent in Carson City, NV for the past 5 or so years switched to 76- got new pumps in the process
Former 76 in Meyers, CA switched to Shell- was already EMV compliant on pumps with 76

Maverik sells Ethanol free gas in Reno area and there are a couple Jacksons Stations that sell it - a Chevron in Carson City on North Carson Street and a Shell in far south Reno around 11100 South Virginia Street - not sure on the Shell, but at the Chevron, the pumps say that ethanol free fuel is not a Chevron branded fuel product.

[HCal]

Yup, I have noticed this too. As gas prices go up, more people seem to be amenable to using a non-major brand station. I waited 10 minutes in line at a Fastrip (small chain in central California) yesterday. Before the recent surge, I have never had to wait. Apparently they are getting new customers.

[SamSpade]

As gas prices have gone up dramatically it does seem that people tend to move away from brand name gas and toward generic stations that may have lower prices (in particular some of the stations on tribal land seem to be busy as those aren't subject to all of the same gas taxes as the stations elsewhere)

So that's why all the Tahoma Markets were like $4.099 when in King County the average was easily $4.599?
This does not seem to work out the same way in Oregon state or SW Washington, where ilani's station is as much or more than other Chevrons.

[bryceleinan]

Some movement in my area the past couple months

Long-time Chevron in Gardnerville, NV in front of the Raleys switched to Valero- got new pumps in the process
Former Arco that had been independent in Carson City, NV for the past 5 or so years switched to 76- got new pumps in the process
Former 76 in Meyers, CA switched to Shell- was already EMV compliant on pumps with 76

Maverik sells Ethanol free gas in Reno area and there are a couple Jacksons Stations that sell it - a Chevron in Carson City on North Carson Street and a Shell in far south Reno around 11100 South Virginia Street - not sure on the Shell, but at the Chevron, the pumps say that ethanol free fuel is not a Chevron branded fuel product.

Yerington Chevron converted to Sinclair this week as well - when I was down there on Sunday, they were switching the pumps around to Sinclair branding.

[storewanderer]

Yerington Chevron converted to Sinclair this week as well - when I was down there on Sunday, they were switching the pumps around to Sinclair branding.

I wondered what was going to happen there. The Jacksons (Texaco) has had a Chevron Coming Soon banner up for quite some time.

So I figured the old (very old and decades with the brand Chevron) Chevron in Yerington was about to not have the brand anymore.