[UPDATE] New Gas Station Launches Cedar Rapids Price War
[UPDATE] Tuesday, 9/24/19, 11:30 A.M. Prices were lowered again on Tuesday morning, according to several listeners Facebook comments. Gas was reportedly selling at $2.05 per gallon at Hy-Vee and Fleet Farm.
Last week's tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia caused gas prices to skyrocket overnight in Cedar Rapids.
In most neighborhoods this week you'll pay prices up to $2.61 per gallon.
But in one corner of town there’s a different kind of gas war going on.
That's right, a good old-fashioned neighborhood gas station price war!
It’s happening at the four corners where Hiawatha meets Cedar Rapids on the northeast side at Edegewood Rd and Blairs Ferry Rd.
The intersection where prices are plunging lower than the neckline of a Kim Kardashian sweater.
It all began when newcomer Kwik Star dropped to $2.20 per gallon over the weekend...
....it didn't take long until they were matched by Hy-Vee, right across the street.
Now the second newcomer Fleet Farm has also met the lowball price. And it's game on.
The fourth player in the group, Casey’s (the only store actually on the "corner" of Edgewood and Blairs Ferry) hasn’t yet bowed under pressure to meet the other three in the price war competition, but it's still priced lower than the area average at $2.30.
Gas Price Wars were famous back in the day, it's old school marketing at the finest, because the customer ultimately wins....for a time, at least.
But it leaves a lot of unanswered questions...
How low can they go? Who will be the next to drop the price a penny or two?
Will Casey's ever give in? How long will this price war last?
And finally...can anyone just do something to complete that ever-present road construction that seems to turn this intersection into an obstacle course every day around 5:15 p.m.??