| 89 cents was what one consumer paid, while | | | | You don't have to shop at Giant Eagle to |
| $1.09 was what another paid for a gallon of | | | | lower your gas price. It can be done |
| gas. You can find out how buyers have cut | | | | anywhere. You just need to be a smart |
| their price of gas to crazy levels. They used | | | | consumer. You need to do your homework. |
| the same strategy used when they purchased | | | | |
| non gas items. This explains how. | | | | Treat gas like anything else that you buy. |
| | | | Look for the best deals. Look for frequent |
| In Cleveland, Marion Charvat paid $1.09 a | | | | shopper programs in your neighborhood that |
| gallon when she filled up. She filled her | | | | allow you to build up discounts you can use |
| Volkswagen Jetta for only $12.45. In that | | | | towards gas. Look for gas discounts and |
| same time period Kellie Courtney paid only 89 | | | | incentives anywhere you see a gas pump. Look |
| cents per gallon of gas. How could they pay | | | | for stores that may be branching out into the |
| such a low price for gas? They were able to | | | | frequent shopper area or stores that now sell |
| pay those low prices because they used the | | | | gas that didn't before. |
| same principles that all smart consumers use. | | | | |
| | | | In order to remain competitive a lot of |
| Marion and Kellie bought gas like they would | | | | stores that had not done so in the past have |
| buy any other item. They found a frequent | | | | started selling fuel. This new competition |
| shopper plan that allowed them to discount | | | | has forced many convenience stores that sell |
| their gas price. They found a way to buy gas | | | | fuel to start offering frequent buyer |
| at a store that had the lowest price by | | | | programs of their own. Those programs can |
| shopping around for the best deal. Giant | | | | help drop your gas costs. In addition, |
| Eagle markets a supermarket chain is where | | | | numbers of stores that never sold fuel before |
| they found it. | | | | are now offering gasoline. As in the case of |
| | | | Giant Eagle they understand that lower gas |
| Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West | | | | costs is a way to increase traffic in their |
| Virginia is where Giant Eagle currently has | | | | stores. As a result you have more ways to |
| stores. Giant Eagle has created a new | | | | lower your gas costs. |
| addition to their frequent buyer program. | | | | |
| Fuelperks is the name of the program. It | | | | According to the Food Marketing Institute, |
| offers discounts on gas at Get- Go gas | | | | just 18% of grocery stores built in 2003 had |
| stations that are owned and operated by Giant | | | | gas pumps; last year, more than 60% of new |
| Eagle. | | | | stores were built with gas stations. They |
| | | | have seen the value of offering gas to their |
| Whenever a consumer at Giant Eagle purchases | | | | customers as a loss leader. |
| Fifty dollars of merchandise they get a 10 | | | | |
| cent price reduction for a gallon of gas for | | | | The giant stores like Wal-Mart / Sam's Club |
| one fill up. If a consumer purchases $100.00 | | | | are now a significant force in the fuel |
| worth of products at Giant Eagle it equates | | | | station industry. The VP in charge of fuel |
| to a 20 cent reduction. That means that if a | | | | for Wal-Mart wants to create gas stations at |
| family spends $500.00 at Giant Eagle it would | | | | every Sam's Club. That translates into lower |
| produce a discount of $1.00 per gallon. Spend | | | | fuel prices for you. |
| enough at Giant Eagle and you could get | | | | |
| gasoline for free. | | | | So how can you lower your gas costs? Treat |
| | | | gas like any other item you purchase. Look |
| A large family that may buy great amounts of | | | | for deals, discounts and low prices. |
| food every week could find itself with big | | | | Comparison shop. Find the retailers that |
| discounts in just a few weeks. The price of | | | | offer the best program for you. Look for gas |
| gas for them will be much lower because of | | | | bargains at some of the non traditional |
| the discount they earned. Giant Eagle | | | | outlets like grocery stores or mega stores. |
| grocery prices are competitive as are their | | | | Then maybe you will be able to buy that tank |
| gas prices so the savings are real. | | | | of gas for 89 cents a gallon like Kellie |
| | | | Courtney did. |