I just don't see collusion. I see a world market and heavy Canadian taxation setting the bar for 95% of gasoline prices, and the other 5% is the war ground between gas stations. Within five minutes of my house I have a Petro Can at 1.03 and a Mohawk at 1.00, both within that 5% of battle space.
Mohawk wants the business and is willing to give up profit to drive up volume. If they colluded they wouldn't do that.
Kind of like electronics ... buyers for the Future Shop, Best Buy and SoundsAround, Visions, etc all pay about the same thing and that's why you don't see much more than a few bucks between their products, but they're not colluding either.
Gasoline is a commodity and as TTC pointed out, speculation that stocks will go lower (inventory) creates the desire to buy the commodity and go long. When this happens offers pull away and the market lifts. Market lifts and gasoline goes up in value. The 2007 spring gasoline stocks are well below the past two Springs and that can only play out in pricing.
Is what it is. I've never understood why this one staple/commodity creates so much emotion compared to things like produce almost doubling at times for the exact same reason (hurricanes wipe out oranges in Florida and the inventory is gone).
The recent increase in gas prices cost me about $7 a fill on a 90 liter tank.
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