{"id":3904,"date":"2026-06-08T20:01:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T20:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3904"},"modified":"2026-06-08T20:01:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T20:01:13","slug":"this-gas-buying-trend-indicates-financial-stress-top-industry-executives-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3904","title":{"rendered":"This gas buying trend indicates financial stress, top industry executives say"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/figure>\n article<\/span><\/div>

FILE – A fuel pump at a Chevron gas station in San Mateo, California, US, on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Chevron Corp. is expected to release earnings figures on Jan. 30, 2025. (Benjamin Fanjoy\/Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>

Read more Teen hiker dies from heat-related illness at Grand Canyon National Park<\/a><\/p> <\/div><\/div> <\/div>

Topping up the gas tank has been a common practice for many Americans, even more so during times of financial stress, according to industry executives.\u00a0<\/p>

Dig deeper:<\/p>

Spending behavior for Americans has changed amid the ongoing war in Iran.\u00a0<\/p>

<\/div>

The changes observed so far are subtle, such as altered routines for buying gasoline and fewer visits to clothing and furniture stores.\u00a0<\/p>

During recent earnings calls with analysts, executives from Walmart, McDonald’s and Dollar General cited overall shopper resilience as well as noticeable cutbacks by lower-income customers.<\/p>

Topping up at the pump<\/h2>

Membership-only retail stores like Costco, Walmart’s Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale Club have seen more traffic at their fuel pumps since the war began in late February, according to the companies.\u00a0<\/p>

But many drivers are not filling their tanks up, Walmart Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey told analysts late last month. For the first time since 2022, Walmart customers and Sam\u2019s Club members are buying an average of less than 10 gallons per trip, he said.<\/p>

Read more Family says Houston man died saving teen in recent carjacking incident<\/a><\/p>

What they’re saying:<\/p>

“That\u2019s an indication of stress,” Rainey said.<\/p>

Costco members also are making changes. They are visiting store gas stations more frequently to “top up in between what would have normally been a gap between getting the tank to empty because of the concern about what might the gas price be tomorrow,” Chief Financial Officer Gary Millerchip said in late May.<\/p>

Big picture view:<\/p>

Well before the U.S. and Israel launched the war, many consumers already were being more choosy with their discretionary purchases, fatigued by several years of stubborn inflation and tariffs on imported goods imposed last year.<\/p>

The U.S. Commerce Department reported last week that higher prices, not more purchases, accounted for most of the growth in Americans’ spending in April, when a key inflation gauge reached the highest level since October 2023.<\/p>

By the numbers:<\/p>

As of this report, the national average for regular gas was $4.16, which is up compared to last year\u2019s average at $3.12,\u00a0according to AAA.<\/u><\/p>

Read more Lawyer who defended Paxton at impeachment trial backs Talarico<\/a><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Industry executives said that while spending among U.S. consumers hasn’t stopped, many people are changing their habits, particularly at the gas pump. 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