Drivers are scrambling to buy gas at just 96.9 cents per litre at a new Costco in Courtenay. But while the low price is good news for motorists, owners of independent stations say the store-opening promotion is causing them grief.
Angela Kim, independent owner of an Esso station in Comox, usually goes to the bank only a couple of times a week, confident that she'll be depositing healthy profits.
That has changed since the price-cutting war began last week. "We're going every single day just to shove in any money that we have," said Kim.
She has brought her price down to $1.19 per litre, four cents less than what she buys it for. She said she cannot afford to go any lower. "People don't understand that other stores can do it because they're corporations and can make up for it at a different location, but we just can't because we're not a corporation.
"We've gotten a lot of mean comments, like, 'How can you do this, who do you think you are?' "
Kim has had to cut hours to make up for the lost profits. Sung Bae, her husband, normally does bookkeeping but has started working behind the till.
When Kim bought the station four years ago, the previous owner told her to never cut employees' hours. But Kim says she has had no choice since the gas war started. She has promised her employees their regular hours when gas prices return to normal.
Bill Choi, owner of an independent Husky gas bar, is worried that he will have to start cutting hours soon. Choi is losing $400 to $500 each day, selling at $1.189 per litre.
In Greater Victoria, the prevailing price has been between $1.299 and $1.319 per litre.
Choi said he normally sells about 5,000 litres daily, but now he's only selling 2,000.
He is relying on diesel, which Costco doesn't sell.
Being a full-serve station also helps, Choi said, because many seniors appreciate having their gas pumped.
The war may be about to simmer down.
Costco's gas prices will probably stay this way for about another week, "then it's back to reality," said a Costco employee.
