Comment by protocolture
Comment by protocolture 8 days ago
In my experience Petrol stations are very smart operators that accumulate new business models very quickly.
My locals all:
Sell petrol
Sell snacks, meals and necessities (small convenience stores)
Sell firewood
Sell ice
Provide gas bottle swaps.
Sell large items that are convenient for ute tray transport (Slabs of drink and other items)
Provide free water and air, basic car wash facilities.
15 years from now I expect all of the above (It will take 20 years to get rid of petrol cars when the last one is sold)
Plus more common ev charging. Maybe battery swaps.
In the US at least, I feel like you hit that late 90s convenience experience.
While it's true they still do these things, or try to, in my experience nobody actually uses them because of understaffing and underpaying of employees to the point of them not caring.
Who wants a brown hot dog or dried out taquito that's been on a roller for who knows how many days? Who wants soda from moldy taps? Who wants to stand in line to change out propane, to be told there's only one person working, go out and wait til the line is gone? Air is still free, but you have to go in and ask for it to be turned on.
At least that's my experience, maybe each locale is different. I literally have never seen a person buy prepared food or exchange propane at a typical gas station(wawa/buckees excluded) in my adult life.