In my area of New York, more and more gas stations are closing down or pulling out the tanks and removing the pumps. You would think with the cost of gas that it would be a profitable business. Why is this?

The stations are losing customers because of the gas hike.

Believe it or not, the stations are not making that much money on a gallon of gasoline. they depend more on goods sold inside, like beer and cigarettes.

The big gas money makers are the petroleum industry and the stockholders.

Foreign countries have discovered they can charge whatever price they wise for a barrel of crude oil and the world has no choice, but to accept it.

This has got to end somewhere.

I guess the United States will finally be like Italy and everyone ride motorscooters.

I really feel for the independent truck drivers, they are losing money on each trip, because of diesel fuel approaching $5.00 a gallon.

And, this eventually will effect all of us at the stores.

It appears that the gas refining companies are making money, but the gas stations are not.

lol @ thinking high prices mean the stations are rolling in money. Gas purchases are decreasing. Gas thefts are increasing. I'd prolly be pulling my tanks, too.

Retail prices have little to do with profit margins by themselves.

they only get like 10 cents a gallon, the real money they make is from the stuff you buy inside the store.

Apparently gas stations only make 2 percent profit on the gas they sell...the rest is taxes etc. With the rising gas prices more people are fueling & fleeing which is costing businesses a LOT of money. We've had a few shut down here in Canada because of it. It's especially not worth it when you are a small private company.