Gulf Coast Gas Stations Ditching BP Brand

[sabra]

Source: WDSU

New Signage Going Up At Some Locations

In many cases, new signage -- often hastily installed -- is already up, replacing the familiar BP green and yellow emblem.

Late last month, BP offered to help area distributors of its gasoline by offering a 2 cents-per-gallon rebate. The move was intended to offset revenue lost as some customers boycott the company responsible for the Deepwater Horizon incident.

Some BP-branded gas stations have reported sales declines of 10 percent to 40 percent since the April 20 rig explosion.

Read more: http://www.wdsu.com/news/24225409/detail.html

[BeyondGeography]

1. But this will hurt BP and make it harder for them to pay us back

:sarcasm:

[Ian David]

10. They'll just create a Settlement Bond that people can invest in, like the tobacco companies did. n/t

[KansDem]

2. Someone help me out here...

BP offered to help area distributors of its gasoline by offering a 2 cents-per-gallon rebate.

Isn't that rather piddly?

Is there something I'm not understanding?...

[golddigger]

6. Gas stations only make around

4 to 5 cents off each gallon of gas.

[Brother Buzz]

8. Store owners make the real money on junk food sales

Cheap gas prices just get the vehicles into the station.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Exciting news

.

[Sinistrous]

4. I know of two former BP stations in Pennsylvania.

Both are now branded with other companies.

[liberal N proud]

5. Now that is how you boycott an oil company

Consumer boycotts only hurt the station owner, not the oil company that puts their name on the local owners property.

[obxhead]

7. I'm not sure how much a change of gas supplier hurts

the local station owner.

A local station owner here just changed suppliers. He explained to me that the supplier paid for all of the signs and updates to the pumps. Gas is also 6 cents a gallon less under the new brand. He seemed quite happy about the change of supplier and the process involved.

(BP name was not involved for full disclosure)

[Fumesucker]

11. I suspect though that the station owners are changing brands thanks to consumers avoiding BP..

Rebranding a retail establishment is not necessarily a cheap endeavor, these owners have a good reason for what they are doing and the one that springs to mind first is that consumers are avoiding the BP brand.

[centerdem]

9. so what!

Do you really think Exxon/Mobil or Shell care more for the environment or the law.

[Uncle Joe]

12. If they care about the value; their brand brings and even the almighty dollar, they will need

to have a more expansive, long term view of their actions.

BP is a prime example of what happens when you become penny wise and pound foolish.

The good thing about strong effective boycotts; is in not requiring going to court to fight legal battles against mega-rich corporations for years on end, while compensation is reduced to 10% of the original award.