Why buy stuff at a truck stop?

skyraider · Sep 28, 2011

Number one reason, we are creatures of habit and lazy. Yes u can get free showers and sometimes free coffee, but why buy anything there? We all know stuff there is marked up so high its ridiculous. $ 1.69 or more for a cup of coffee, not a good deal. $3.49 or so for a hamburger in plastic wrap, come on now. Where and when and who cooked it, u dont know , do u?

The candy deals, 2 candy bars for $2.50, ugh u can buy a case a lot cheaper at Wally World or Big Lots. Hey, I'm guilty of all the above, but its not being very frugal with ones money. Its easy to blow through 20 bucks a day on the road, dont tell me u haven't done that. Watch your money, it goes fast.

chefdennis · Sep 28, 2011

LOL, this is very timely...I was in need of a small 12 volt "clip-on" fan. Iooked at them at 2 different TS's and they both wanted $21.95....both the same fan, marketed under 2 different names...

I was in Wal-mart the other day and went to the "Automotive" dept figuring thats where I'd find the 12 volt accesories...sure enough, there was a fan...well not just "a" fan, but the same fan, a 3rd fan, market under a different name....BUT...it's was $9.95...

It does a good job...

layoutshooter · Sep 28, 2011

One thing that I learned when I was in retail management is that "markups" are complicated. Not everything, although I am sure it is done, is marked up JUST to price gouge.

scottm4211 · Sep 28, 2011

The result is the same though.

layoutshooter said:
One thing that I learned when I was in retail management is that "markups" are complicated. Not everything, although I am sure it is done, is marked up JUST to price gouge.

layoutshooter · Sep 28, 2011

scottm4211 said:
The result is the same though.

That matters not. IF the markups are not right every retail outlet will go out of business.

Here is a very rough idea on the subject. At Cabela's we needed a 40% gross margin to just BREAK EVEN, no profit. SO i, say a Remington 870 express shotgun has a 5% markup (that is about what it is) the store loses money on every sale. SO they must make up for that on another item. Like fishing rods which often have a 120% mark up. At Gander we required 35% to maintain our break even. It is complicated, watched like a hawk and changed sometimes daily to meet operational needs. Without those mark ups there would be no jobs in those stores, they would be gone. That part is simple.

jjoerger · Sep 28, 2011

A lot of times it's cheaper to buy something in the truck stop then to drive 10 miles to save a buck.
We make lists of what we need and then try to get them when near a Walmart.

scottm4211 · Sep 28, 2011

And I say that matters not. When Tommy the Truckers parks his company freightliner after he fuels up the last thing he cares about are metrics or corporate balance sheets. He wants his corn dogs and he wants them now.

layoutshooter · Sep 28, 2011

scottm4211 said:
And I say that matters not. When Tommy the Truckers parks his company freightliner after he fuels up the last thing he cares about are metrics or corporate balance sheets. He wants his corn dogs and he wants them now.

I understand, he wants his nasty, dried out corn dogs. They won't be there and neither will the fuel if they don't get those markups right. Too high, nothing sells and they lose money. Too low, they lose money. Either way, they are gone. It is how it is. If you can come up with a better way, let me know, I will fund the business and we will both be rich!!

scottm4211 · Sep 28, 2011

layoutshooter said:
I understand, he wants his nasty, dried out corn dogs. They won't be there and neither will the fuel if they don't get those markups right. Too high, nothing sells and they lose money. Too low, they lose money. Either way, they are gone. It is how it is. If you can come up with a better way, let me know, I will fund the business and we will both be rich!!

I have no clue. I can barely put one foot in front of the other most days.