By avoiding purchasing Exxon-Mobil gasoline, the companies might be forced to reduce the gas prices to eliminate inventory. However, BP and Chevron are also huge companies so would not be good alternatives. Is there a small independent supplier that would be a good choice? One that does not obtain their gasoline from any of the big three?
I work for a competitor to Exxon and what Freddy says is true. Gasoline is gasoline, no matter where it comes from. The only difference is the additives injected at the loading rack. Major oil companies exchange product in different locations, or outright buy and sell it. One of my major markets is Chicago. Our company has product pipelined into our terminal, but we had another company refine it, since we don’t have a refinery in the area. What we pipe in sometimes isn’t enough, so we land up buying more from the majors, or exchanging it for product they need elsewhere, where we have plenty. Sometimes we sell it, just because we can make more selling it at the terminal than we can taking it to the stations
Most of the money made on gasoline is made prior to it arriving at your local station. The margin is at best 5% for a local station and it’s rarely above 2%. This means on a $3 gallon of gas, most times the retailer is making a nickel or less. Which is why they sell everything from coffee to phone cards these days. There is no profit in retail gas sales.
The only way to screw ExxonMobil (and all the oil companies) is to use less energy. Until we reduce our consumption levels, demand will continue to outpace supply and prices will continue to rise. Keep in mind this is a gloabl statement. What we don’t use can’t be sent to another country where it will yield just about as much profit, if not more.)