[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Kerplunk

One of the problems I have is that there really no competition in the market. If I go to buy clothing and one place sells it for too much, I can go somewhere else. Stations in Calgary have a wonderful habit of all being the same, forcing the customer to pay a single price.

With a relatively small number of refineries that the gas can come from this really isn't too unexpected. If every gas station is buying from the same refineries, they pay the same tax, and they want the same profit margin then of course they will be charging the same price. For the price to drop at a station, they have to take a cut in their profits, and unless they can guarantee to make that loss up through more business they aren't going to do it.