newsday.com: Number of N.J. gas stations has tumbled 24 percent: “After the 2001 Chevron-Texaco merger, the new company was forced by the federal government to divest itself of thousands of Texaco stations owned by a joint venture between Texaco and Shell. They now operate as Shell stations, although some have been closed down and boarded up.” (ShellNews.net) Posted 20 March 05
TRENTON, N.J. -- The number of gas stations in New Jersey has dropped as oil companies have merged and smaller operations have been overtaken by larger ones offering lower prices and convenience stores.
Gas stations in the Garden State declined 24 percent between 1997 and 2004, according to the state Treasury Department.
"The convenience stores have become more attractive to consumers," Pennsylvania State University professor Andrew Kleit told The Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's harder for smaller stations to compete."
Oil-industry mergers also have resulted in fewer stations, as companies only kept their most profitable sites, expert say. While some stations have been taken over by regional brands, others remain vacant.
Along one half-mile of Route 73 near Interstate 295, there are four stations boarded up, the newspaper reported.
After the 2001 Chevron-Texaco merger, the new company was forced by the federal government to divest itself of thousands of Texaco stations owned by a joint venture between Texaco and Shell.
They now operate as Shell stations, although some have been closed down and boarded up. Texaco signs were taken down recently from two stations on Route 70 in Cherry Hill and Route 73 in Mapleshade.
"Customers can clearly recognize the station is not open for business from a distance," Shell spokeswoman Karyn Leonardi-Cattolica said in a statement.
While there may be fewer gas stations, advocates say there are still plenty of options for New Jersey motorists. Pam Maiolo, a spokeswoman for AAA in New Jersey, said the group was not concerned about the decline.