The average Chevron station was able to sell unleaded regular gasoline 3.09 cents per gallon above competitors. Shell [image-nocss] took second place with an average differential of 2.46 cents per gallon, followed by the 76 flag (1.39 cents per gallon); Texaco (1.34 cents per gallon) and Conoco (1.17 cents per gallon).
Shell, with the largest market share, held an estimated 15.42% of nationwide gasoline volume, down a slight 0.04% from last year. Despite all of its 2010 oil spill woes, BP had the second highest share with 7.96%, down from the 2009 level of 8.24%; however, data gathered for the report did reveal that BP's share dipped in June at the height of the press coverage of the BP Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion and spill. Volumes recovered later in the year, but have yet to return to numbers seen before the event.
Mobil took top honors among major flag ratings in market efficiency, which calculates market share divided by outlet share. The Mobil score of 1.32 edged out other multinationals, but it is still well below top ratings of independent chains. Wawa, for example, had a market share of 1.46% with an outlet share of just 0.26%, so its efficiency rating was more than four times Mobil's at 5.68. Sheetz had the second best efficiency rating with a score of 4.24. Wawa priced its pumps an average of 3.33 cents per gallon under its competitors while Sheetz priced at 1.19 cents per gallon under its foes.
The Wall, N.J.-based Oil Price Information Service is a leading source for petroleum pricing and information. It covers gasoline, diesel, ethanol, biodiesel, LP-gas, jet fuel, crude, propane, feedstocks, residual fuel and kerosene. It was recently acquired by New York City-based Platts, a division of McGraw-Hill Cos.
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