Gas discounts

Even across the seaway from HQ isn't this high!

Many chains around the country have offered gas discounts for several years now.  Some have their own brand like Tops shown here, while others partner with a third party, as some of Tops' former sister chains use Shell (which left Syracuse decades ago) if not have their own (like Martins).  Price Chopper was one of the first in Upstate NY to have a program in collaboration with participating Sunocos.  Valero had one each at Strupplers and Village Market IGA in Oswego County until both became Tops in the past couple years.  In the Hudson Valley where Tops have grown south of former Grand Unions they acquired, they bought some of their ex-sister chains stores after they merged with another from Europe because of overlap and FTC regulations, and there shoppers save on gift cards to be used at area Shell, Irving (I don't even see these in their native Canada when I go, and doing the math with metric measurements, it costs much more), BP (left Syracuse along with their sisters Arco and Amoco) and Gulf (recently back in CNY) stations.  Tops in my neck of the woods and Price Chopper in theirs let customers who don't drive use points to save on bus passes so they don't go to waste if they don't have access to someone elses vehicle, but it only makes sense if you live there.  Someone in Hannafords ad said that the discounts barely make a dent (they don't even believe in a card).  ShopRite have it in a different way and I've seen it as they recently returned to Albany County (never knew they were there in the past as I heard of them from downstate and went down the river later).  Various other chains and indies nationwide will have a promotion somewhere.  Tops let you earn more points with manufacturers' coupons while Price Choppers kiosks will provide a store one to use when you spend a certain amount.  With the latter I try to get at least 20¢ off a gallon.  At Speedway it takes a few months just to even get to 10¢ off but I keep at it until I reach it.  Back at Tops, at the end of an earning cycle, there's a two-week hiatus, and you have to use the remaining 100s of points or they will be wiped at the start of the next period.  Back at the starting gate.
Prices fluctuate between events overseas and the economy.  Another rise is inevitable, but at least there's a way to keep the price down a little.  On the west coast, they could use this even more.

Woolworths

Former Bakersfield, CA store, which may be an indie shop now from the looks of it (recent photo)

    Since Family Dollar, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Dollarama (Canada), Five Below, even Ben Franklin in some small towns, as well as indie variety stores like 99¢ City are alive and well, then there's almost no reason why trailblazers Woolworths are not in this country anymore, as it's been for these past two decades. Many say Walmart and the like are to blame. Foot Locker are the legal successor to the original chain. Existing and defunct chains in the Commonwealth and México (spun off like the UK had in 1982) are not related (the Canadian chains were replaced by The Bargain! Shop [some stores like Ft Erie and Gananoque, ONT closed] and Walmart [Woolco absorbed in 1994]) respectively. Foot Locker could own the revived chain or at least licence the name to a new company if it came down to that. Here's where Woolworths 2.0 "wool'd" be today:

Manlius - former Kinney Pharmacy, NY 92
Elbridge - former Family Dollar, NY 5
Auburn - former Family Dollar, NY 5
Canastota - former Family Dollar, NY 5 & 13 and CR 25
Watertown - Paddock Arcade, NY 3 (not far from where early store was as it's a small town)
New Hartford - former Tuesday Morning, former NY 5/8/12 (chose downtown proper for post location)
Fulton - TBD (former kmart on NY 481 is too big)
Oswego - former Dollar Tree, NY 104
Cicero - former Green Planet Grocery, NY 31
North Syracuse - Northern Lights Plaza; former Media Play, US 11
Cortland - next to Grand Union, NY 281
deWitt - Shoppingtown Mall (former site unavailable but many others are), NY 5
Rotterdam - Viaport, NY 337
Junius Ponds - Finger Lakes Premium Outlets, NY 318
Bridgeport, former Kinney Drugs, NY 31
Liverpool -  former Verizon Wireless, NY 31
Syracuse - former Bon Ton, Destiny USA (although Five Below are already in newer section)

Known former CNY, WNY and Capital Region locations:

Syracuse - downtown (later Rite Aid; now DGX, but other parts are vacant)

Albany (uptown) - Westgate Plaza, NY 5; closed by 1993

Albany (downtown) - NY 32 (most likely)
Colonie - Northway Mall, NY 5, probably where Target is now
deWitt - Shoppingtown, NY 5 (plaza and mall)

Victor - Eastview Mall, NY 96
Utica - downtown (first failed store located there; newer store opened when chain grew later)
Fulton - now Dollar General; final CNY location; NY 481

Former chemist division The Rx Place had stores in Carousel Center (now Destiny USA down cellar where Burlington is now and was later CompUSA), deWitt on NY 5 (where Marshalls HomeGoods are today and onetime Pathmark Super Drug) and Poughkeepsie on US 9 at South Hills Mall (later PharmHouse and PharMor, which acquired Rx Place from Woolworths in the mid-'90s).

CarMax

Colonie location on NY 5 near Albany

Seeing a commercial for CarMax with MadTV and Ithaca College alum Andrew Daly, and going by the Henrietta location gave me the idea for the next post. I might even buy a car from them when I get the money. As usual, we always get things last around here (shock, horror).