Cyclical Pricing to Strike Again

Comment on the November 11 prediction:  Prices did rise the next day (CORRECT), but only to $3.35 (a bit WRONG).

Monday, November 18, 2013, 8:00PM:  Retail prices have been dropping like a rock, but wholesale prices have not, setting a price hike this week.  With prices as low as $3.03 in Rockford, we are looking at a hike coming on Tuesday or Wednesday, maybe back to $3.35.  Cross our fingers, though, that a hike this week will lead to no hike during Thanksgiving week.

In Gas Game alumni news, former GG writer Patrick DeHaan was interviewed recently by CBS Chicago, providing a nice explanation of cyclical pricing in the Great Lakes region.  –Ed Aboufadel

Updated: November 18, 2013 — 8:02 pm

27 Comments

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  1. .31 spike in Ionia has dropped .15. Retailers may stay at a loss for a day or two but they profit for weeks on this fluctuation game.

  2. Thank you for the prediction, and for the link to the article:

    ———————————–

    These cycles have gone on for more than a dozen years, and the FTC says we’re actually better off for it.

    “Once you get down to $3.04, $3.03, $3.02, stations just really love to bring out that out that $2.99 sign,” DeHaan says.

    Gas prices are a lot like the stock market. Try to buy on the dips.

    ———————————-

    That makes a lot more sense than shaking our fists at “Greedway” and crying conspiracy. Just be a smart consumer and you’ll always come out ahead.

  3. I’m with you Ren.

    I love that I get to fill up both of my car and my gas cans the night before a SPIKE. Then driving my wife’s care in the morning and filling it up as well. Doing this just about guarantees that I am paying at or below the cost of the gas to the station. How many people can say that? Just being followers of this site, we have the ability to beat the market and buy our gas for much less than we would be in other states.

    Let’s hold off on the complaining and start playing this amazing hand we’ve been dealt.

  4. Please excuse my lack of proof reading on that last comment.

  5. I just want to say a few things….
    1)Price swings have been going on for many years, even when gas was under $1, here in Fort Wayne, it would jump 10 or 15¢, then creep down.
    2)I have been able to buy at or very near the bottom of the cycles every time for all those years, except once. One time only.
    3)Ryan and Ren, you guys are right, just buy at the low times and we will be so much better off. And I have been successful more than most. It just would be nice if this price watching for the gas tank was one less stupid thing to watch. I have a 1984 Chevy Van with a 46 gallon tank. I don’t fill it often, but you better believe I only fill it when the price is down below zero margin. But after 30+ years of watching the pricing, it just would be nice to not need to. That’s all.

  6. All the Greedways in Elkhart just went up 15-20 cents this morning. Get ready rest of Indiana!!

  7. $3.299 in Ohio.

  8. just hit the 2.99 dip in Flint MI, guessing they’ll serve up spike for lunch tomorrow.

  9. No resistance to this spike in my area. Guess the 3rd time was the charm.

  10. Looks like a couple of Speedways and a Meijer have moved up to $3.45 in Grand Rapids so far this morning.

  11. Was there some spam posters on GB or did stations in jenison mi go up for a few hours and then come back down?

  12. Just jumped on gasbuddy.com to see what’s going on. I’m certainly surprised to see that prices are still showing falling on this Thursday. Gonna top off my tank tonight and possibly again this weekend because I’m positive there will be a hike come next week – the week of Thanksgiving!! No matter what the numbers or spike line or whatever says. And again, I know, we don’t always get a spike the week of a holiday . . . so they say.

  13. I filled up everything today at lunch expecting a spike, but it doesn’t look like a spike has happened around here.

  14. BTC…
    There’s hope 🙁 for tomorrow after another big jump in spot prices today that should push wholesale up sharply for the 2nd night in a row.

  15. Bought my 35 Kroger gallons this morning figuring a spike was coming today and the Mejier down the street dropped another $.08 this afternoon to $2.93.

  16. Yep looks like the spike should happen today with spot prices jumping around the .08 mark.

  17. I see some prices on Gasbuddy indicating that the Lansing area may be spiking to 3.39

  18. This spike didn’t last long. Already seeing stations trickle down 7 cents wiping out half the spike. Expecting another big price ramp up next week.

  19. Jumping to $3.39 in Grand Rapids!!!

  20. This morning when I filled up at Krogers gas in Troy, Michigan was $3.09 This afternoon it jumped up .30 cents to $3.39! I’m so glad this site exists to help keep people informed on the price jumps!

  21. the post lunch spike I was expecting on Thurs, didnt hit until Friday instead, but the outliers, the usual slow to raise Admiral stations, were still at 2.96 at Midnite, one of my local ones at 5am. Double tap this week?

  22. Before yesterday, spot was over $2.50. I bet we get another spike Monday/Tuesday depending on state.

  23. Chicago spot DROPPED over 9&cent Friday.

  24. Glad to hear it Jim. Hopefully that cools the chance of a spike this week.

  25. Attention All Squirrels. Attention All Squirrels. Please report for immediate duty in front of Coker Unit #3. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

    Headed to pick my kid from college in a non-Speedway state. Filled up at $2.95 in Indiana, 38-40mpg, and will fill up before heading back.

  26. Chicago spot dropped 4.5 cent more today. Despite flaring at the Exxon-Mobil refinery Friday and the downstate WoodRiver refinery Saturday. Wholesale was already down 6-7 cents over the weekend after last Friday’s spot price plunge.

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