Jeff Lenard Quotations

We're in hyperdrive. These wholesale increases are going to be felt almost immediately.

We're in uncharted territory. We're seeing more people going to prepay than ever before. I think we'll look back on 2005 and say 'Remember when we used to be trusted to pay for our gas?

When gas is $3 a gallon the retailer is responsible for about 4 percent of the cost, but they are getting 100 percent of the abuse.

There are no strong regional players on the west coast. The west coast tends to be mom and pop stores. It's a lot more open for competition than the east coast.

You don?t make your money at the pump, you make it in the store.

There has been an incredible increase in the number of retailers who are throwing up their hands and saying, 'That's it, we are going to require prepay until we can figure out another way,'

There is a 12-cent per gallon normal retail markup. But usually, the profit margin is about two cents a gallon.

We sell time as much as anything. It doesn't matter if it's gas, a sandwich or a phone card. The goal is to sell time.

This week, there's been a huge upswing in retailers who've said, 'Enough. I can't figure out another way to prevent theft,' who've gone to prepay.

The pipelines are also starting operations again, ... It is not full capacity, but that is still good news.

As the price of gas climbs, people's values decline.

People price shop. There is no loyalty. They will leave you for a penny a gallon.

Stores are figuring out you make more selling a 12-oz. cup of coffee or a 12-oz. bottle of water than you can selling a gallon of gas.

The whole idea of taking labor-intensive services away from the counter is definitely on our to-do lists.

This industry more than any other is regulated by the customers and competition.

It's a significant hit to a very stressed system, and we're bearing the brunt of consumer frustration,

It's actually proven to be much more powerful in people's minds.

It's all related to how recently you got your shipment. Retailers base prices on replacement costs.

Consumers are trying to displace the pain for a few weeks.

Everyone is trying to capture those last-minute shoppers.

No matter how old you are, there are things you can pick up to round out your stocking.

There was an increase in thefts immediately, especially with the dramatic increase of prices. After Katrina, there were so many retailers that couldn't absorb losses anymore ... so they went to prepay. They couldn't afford that one drive-off a day that would hurt their gas profits. And with Rita ... we will see more stations go pre-pay, if nothing else, as a temporary solution.

If you have two clerks, there's more of a temptation to resist, which could cause an escalation of the situation. And if it is a truly heinous act of violence, you just put more people at risk.

California retailers have a whole lot of obstacles to selling gasoline. You have stringent environmental regulations that add to it.

This is a huge beef for consumers; it's a huge beef for the retailers.