Liquor, nicotine and nuts generate big bucks in fierce convenience store competition taking place in America and Arapahoe County. On Saturday, I paid only $2.24 a gallon for unleaded gasoline at a Circle K at 7425 East Arapahoe Road.
The flashing sign claimed I’d pay $2.14 with Easy Pay. The friendly clerk told me Easy Pay is Circle K’s credit card. I asked for that easy paying price by simply paying cash, and was nicely told no.
However, with my cell number, we confirmed my Circle K – Inner Circle credentials. That meant inexpensive gas, plus rewards!
Several blocks uphill at 7801 East Arapahoe Road, new behemoth Quik Trip (QT), was selling unleaded gas for $2.19 a gallon. QT is the swaggering brainchild of enterprising Oklahomans who now operate over 1,000 USA stores, but just started competing in Colorado.
How do you make a splash? You undercut the market by selling gasoline without profit margin. QT sells gas for far less than most Colorado outlets. Other price wars have followed in Arapahoe County.
The Valero Corner Store, at 7739 East Arapahoe Road, has essentially surrendered. It was sad inside, so I wanted to buy something. The only Spitz Big Bag flavored sunflower seeds that Valero had was Cracked Pepper, which is fine, even though I got charged $2.99.
I asked the clerk in the empty store if the QT next door was hurting his business. He was nice enough to say, “Yep,” instead of, “No sh*t, Sherlock.”
The High Cost of Colorado feature here in the Colorado Sun revealed how every penny matters. We learned the reasons behind increased costs of consumer staples like coffee, milk, eggs and hamburgers.
Gasoline impacts many people’s budgets, including mine. I hold most fuel discount cards and regularly double dip at 7-Eleven, utilizing 7Rewards, and Phillips66 – Conoco – 76 credit card loyalty points.
Few people crave shopping at 7-Eleven. We do it for convenience. I’d rather pay the lower prices at the grocery store, but there are certain things you can rarely find at Kings Soopers or Safeway. Many solid grocery store merger complaints exist, but someone should investigate price-fixing food necessities, and I’m not talking about taquitos.
I’m talking about sunflower seeds, the consumption of which I’m an expert. As a youth, I was excellent at baseball and spitting sunflower seeds. I can shuck them mindlessly for hours, no problem, and at high speed. But I can’t find my Spitz Smoky BBQ in any supermarket.
Instead, my favored flavored Spitz brand is generally available only in convenience stores, and way too expensive at nearly $3 for a 6-ounce bag. You’ll pay even more for Spitz via Amazon.
I never eat the shells, I spit them if I’m outside (but never on the golf course). At home, I use my fingers. Malcolm Gladwell said 10,000 hours can make you an expert, which should make me double black diamond. Aw shucks. What do you expect from the son of a man named Shell(y)?
As my wife will attest, I hit the wastebasket 90.5% of the time. That’s as good as Jamal Murray shoots from the free throw line, but Trish doesn’t think that’s adequate. Neither did my mother.
I am a nut and seed connoisseur. I’d eat pistachios all night, but then I’d be fat and broke. Besides, I like the fine art of tiny seed shelling. It fulfills so many fixations and salty desires. I’m even told it’s good for me. It’s an unsung superfood, but seeds have gotten so expensive.
But that’s where QT has come to the rescue. My Spitz sunflower seeds cost only $2.29. Let me tell you why QT is so nice, and with such good service and low prices. They sell booze, and not just beer. You can buy wine there in a bottle or a box. Whiskey, too. QT wants to sell you your Thanksgiving gas and spirits!
After filling up on Saturday, I had business in Southern Colorado and spent a night in Cañon City, where the best unleaded price was $3.21 at an incredible new Loves Travel Stop, complete with dog park. I only bought Spitz Smoky BBQ seeds there, for $2.29, just like at QT.
Returning home on Tuesday, I stopped at QT to buy more seeds at $2.29, and an afternoon fresh-off-the-grill breakfast from the delicious and fast QT Kitchen. There was a huge line to buy unleaded at $2.21 a gallon. I still had plenty.
At the sad Valero, I saw the sign at $2.69, and kept driving to the Circle K, which had upped its unleaded price to $2.39 for unleaded without the Easy Pay. Inside, I could only find Spitz Chili Lime, which are A-OK, but sadly priced at $2.99.
I’m well set on sunflower seeds now for Thanksgiving break. My family knows that if they want great seeds, I’ve got them. So does QT. No need to wait until Black Friday for superb holiday sales on seeds and gas on East Arapahoe Road.
Craig Silverman is a former Denver chief deputy DA. Craig is columnist at large for The Colorado Sun and an active Colorado trial lawyer with Craig Silverman Law, LLC.
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