The way that Crude Costs Influence Retail Prices

Costs Interacting in many ways. 

Gas Prices Raise Costs In 8 Surprising Ways

Bryan Pearson in CustomerThink 

There’s a reason the price of chewing gum is up 7% from last year, and it’s not all related to supply and demand. It turns out that chewing gum is a crude habit, regardless of personal opinion.

The average 42-gallon barrel of oil historically has produced nearly 20 gallons of gasoline and four gallons of jet fuel, according to Earth Science Week. That leaves 18 gallons for other uses, from making plastics and paint to asphalt and ammonia. And yes, to make some candies and gum.

Many of these other uses for petroleum affect the operating costs of retailers and the brands they carry well beyond the length of a gas pump. From product ingredients to the containers that carry the products to the light needed to read the labels, petroleum and natural gas are necessary through virtually every step of the path to purchase. 

Fuel For Thought: 6 Ways Crude Boosts Retail Prices

Thousands of everyday products spring from petroleum today, thanks to chemists who have been – for more than a century – exploring new uses for it. So when the price of a barrel nears $100, the ripple effect is extensive. Here are six ways through which the ripples reach consumers in the retail industry.  ... 

Alexa Will Voice Pay for Gas

Been looking for how services like Amazon Alexa can add to automotive experiences.  Well here is the newest, just announced:

Safe. Simple. Swift.

Now, you can use your Echo Auto or other automotive device with Alexa Built-in to safely and easily pay for gas at Exxon and Mobil stations nationwide. No need to swipe your card, enter your zip code, or touch the keypad the next time you fuel up your car. Secured by Amazon Pay, it’s simple and safe. No additional sign-up required. Just pull up to the pump and say, “Alexa, pay for gas.”

Try it out now

1. Pull up to the pump at your Exxon or Mobil gas station.
2. Using your Echo Auto or other automotive device with Alexa Built-in, say, “Alexa, pay for gas.”
3. Follow Alexa’s prompts to activate the pump.
4. Fuel up and be on your way! Payment is handled automatically after fueling.

Fuel Measurement and Security

A big area of security and measurement, could have considerable value ...

RFID-enabled Fuel-Monitoring System Connects to the Internet of Things
Customers in multiple countries report improved fuel accountability after adopting the solution.
By Nathaniel Prince

Feb 27, 2017—Fluid Management Technology Pty Ltd. (FMT), a specialist in fuel tank management, has developed an RFID- and Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled solution for clients that need to accurately monitor their fuel consumption. The backbone of the system is a device that the company calls the SmartFill GEN 2, which helps prevent theft by restricting fuel dispensal only to authorized users.

Waving a card or fob with an embedded Near Field Communication (NFC) tag over the SmartFill unit (which contains a custom-made reader that uses NXP Semiconductors' PN532 chip set) activates the pump .... " 

CSX Efficiency Statement

In a CSX advertising piece, they point out that one of their trains can move a ton of freight nearly 500 miles on a gallon of fuel.  Nice going.   More from CSX.