Hi Guys,
I am looking into opening a gas station in Canada. I have researched Esso, Shell, and Petro-Canada. It seems like you can go via two routes, either become a “retail-operator” or an “independent owner.” Now obviously, the capital investment for a retailer operator is around $1 million or higher whereas to be a retail-operator its much lower and you can finance that through the bank.
I’m just wondering if anyone has done the retail-operator route and what your experience is with it. I’m having a tough time finding information on margins, costs, revenue, etc. I have been told that margins on gas are very low and most of the profit is from whatever you sell in the convenience store inside and maybe car wash if you can get high traffic in there. Does anyone know how much income you can make (ball park) per month?
Costs would be inventory, payroll, insurance, utilities, etc. The site and property is all owned by the parent company. Is it a good idea? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.