Newbury Petrol Prices Options

[Alleylad]

Is it just me ? Or has anyone else noticed that the two Newbury supermarkets petrol/diesel prices are between 1 and 2 pence per litre more expensive than in Woolhampton, Calcot or Henley. Are we paying an extra a Newbury tax?

[Iommi]

Is it just me ? Or has anyone else noticed that the two Newbury supermarkets petrol/diesel prices are between 1 and 2 pence per litre more expensive than in Woolhampton, Calcot or Henley. Are we paying an extra a Newbury tax?

It seems there's an agreement amongst Newbury supermarkets about what to charge.

[user23]

It seems there's an agreement amongst Newbury supermarkets about what to charge.

Is this illegal or are local traders allowed to set prices as is alleged here?

[Iommi]

Is this illegal or are local traders allowed to set prices as is alleged here?

It would probably be illegal if you could prove it.

[gel]

Tonight's check on petrol with radius around Newbury shows none in Newbury as being competitive:

Name City Distance Price Last Update
Shell Pied Piper Basingstoke 17.89 miles 109.9p 25-01-2010
Shell Buckskin Basingstoke 16.59 miles 110.9p 25-01-2010
Sainsburys Kempshott Basingstoke 17.24 miles 110.9p 26-01-2010

Sainsburys Calcot Reading 18.44 miles 110.9p 26-01-2010
Tcs Windrush Reading 13.54 miles 111.9p 26-01-2010

Tadley Otr Service Station Tadley 13.65 miles 111.9p 26-01-2010

Sainsburys Wantage Wantage 14.82 miles 111.9p 26-01-2010
Mellors Of Challow Ltd Wantage 16.55 miles 111.9p 25-01-2010

J Davy Basingstoke Basingstoke 17.28 miles 111.9p 26-01-2010
Somerfield Pangbourne Reading 17.76 miles 111.9p 26-01-2010

[Iommi]

It seems that Sainsbury's and Tesco charge more in the Newbury area compared to others. And they both seem to follow each others pricing policies.

[Biker1]

13/08/10

Sainsbury's Devon 112.9 ppl

Sainsbury's Newbury 117.9 ppl!

[JeffG]

Sainsbury's Devon 112.9 ppl

Is that all Sainsbury's in Devon, or is there only one Sainsbury's in Devon?

[Biker1]

Is that all Sainsbury's in Devon, or is there only one Sainsbury's in Devon?

I should imagine there are more than one Sainsbury's in Devon but this is the only one I found.
Not sure what town it belongs to but somewhere near Paignton.

[thatcham residen...]

Esso at woolhampton is £1.15.9 today

[DrPepper]

It would probably be illegal if you could prove it.

Not illegal as it's a free market, the price is only an offer for you buy at that price and you are free to go elsewhere. If two retailers decide to follow each other on price that is up to them. They are not controlled in any way, and why should they be - God help us when the state is control of retail prices - we already pay 70%+ tax on fuel as it is - which some may say is state controlled anyway!

[Iommi]

My understanding is price fixing is illegal.

[DrPepper]

My understanding is price fixing is illegal.

Why would it be illegal for two independent companies to charge the same price? It's called market forces, and as has been said there are plenty of places you can get cheaper fuel. By the same token is it illegal for me to sell my house for the same price as as my neighbour ?

[GMR]

Why would it be illegal for two independent companies to charge the same price? It's called market forces, and as has been said there are plenty of places you can get cheaper fuel. By the same token is it illegal for me to sell my house for the same price as as my neighbour ?

That isn't what he said. Petrol stations can charge whatever price they want, price fixing is something different.

[dannyboy]

Why would it be illegal for two independent companies to charge the same price? It's called market forces, and as has been said there are plenty of places you can get cheaper fuel. By the same token is it illegal for me to sell my house for the same price as as my neighbour ?

That isn't. But collusion between to retailers to charge the same is. It is a cartel .

[DrPepper]

That isn't what he said. Petrol stations can charge whatever price they want, price fixing is something different.

Exactly so how do we know that, say, Tesco's isn't pricing it's petrol down to Sainsbury's level. They do it with everything else beans, bread etc - so is this price fixing or competing? Travel the country and you will see that in most towns the petrol is priced withing a penny from outlet to another, yet may be 8p or so dearer than the next town. And why moan at the supermarkets - they are usually cheaper than the other garages anyway, if they were higher in price I could see a case for price fixing.

[GMR]

Exactly so how do we know that, say, Tesco's isn't pricing it's petrol down to Sainsbury's level. They do it with everything else beans, bread etc - so is this price fixing or competing? Travel the country and you will see that in most towns the petrol is priced withing a penny from outlet to another, yet may be 8p or so dearer than the next town. And why moan at the supermarkets - they are usually cheaper than the other garages anyway, if they were higher in price I could see a case for price fixing.

Well, we don't... but they can be investigated if people are concerned.

[Iommi]

DrPepper, all I said was if you could prove that supermarkets are coming to an arrangement regards pricing, you might have a case for reporting it to the relevant authorities.

[gel]

Today's prices 15/8
Thatcham Esso on top

Snax ESSO24 Thatcham Reading 8.26 miles 116.9p 11-08-2010
Sainsburys Newbury Newbury 1.95 miles 117.9p 12-08-2010
Tesco Newbury Extra Newbury 2.15 miles 117.9p 12-08-2010
Chieveley Motor Company Thatcham 3.04 miles 117.9p 12-08-2010
Shell Newbury Newbury 3.54 miles 117.9p 11-08-2010
Falkland Service Station Newbury 3.77 miles 117.9p 12-08-2010
Swanbridge Sf Connect Newbury 1.13 miles 118.9p 12-08-2010
Co-op Thatcham Newbury 3.06 miles 119.9p 12-08-2010
Kingsclere Service Station Newbury 5.13 miles 119.9p 12-08-2010

M4/a34 Chieveley Motorway Service Area Thatcham 3.71 miles 124.9p 12-08-2010

[DrPepper]

DrPepper, all I said was if you could prove that supermarkets are coming to an arrangement regards pricing, you might have a case for reporting it to the relevant authorities.

What relevant authority would that be? I don't see who you could complain to that two supermarkets are charging the same price for a product. If every petrol station within a 50 mile radius was charging exactly the same price then there may be a case, but as long as these are private companies they can charge what they like.

You may be surprised to know that within retail many manufacturers will insist you charge a set price for the goods - if you sell at less they won't supply you, and this goes nationwide and there is nothing illegal about it (I'm talking about high-end electrical items - hence why on the internet many discounted electrical goods will be grey imports).

As I said before it is a free market and retailers can charge whatever they like, and if they choose to charge the same as a competitor that is fine. Also remember there are a number of factors that will dictate the retail price of a product, such as local rents/rates/wages etc - I think you will find these are all higher in the home counties than say Devon, Dorset, Cornwall and "up north".