In Russia, gas station owners have begun selling their stations en masse
In Russia, gas station owners have begun putting their businesses up for sale. Over the past month, more than 150 listings for gas stations have appeared on the market, including properties owned by both private individuals and major oil companies.
According to Russian media reports, the price of individual gas stations ranges from 1 to 150 million rubles. The price depends on the facility’s location, technical equipment, how long the station has been in operation, and whether it has a franchise. In some regions, entire gas station chains are being sold. For example, in Ufa, 13 gas stations have been put up for sale for 350 million rubles.
Major oil companies have also begun preparing their facilities for sale. In particular, announcements regarding the sale of gas stations in the Astrakhan, Rostov, Tambov, and Nizhny Novgorod regions have appeared on Gazprom’s website. The price of individual stations ranges from 940,000 to 13.4 million rubles. The company explained the sale as a move to divest “unprofitable assets.” Lukoil has also posted similar announcements.
One of the main reasons cited for the market’s problems is a fuel shortage. Industry representatives state that private gas stations receive fuel on a residual basis. First, fuel is supplied to the stations of major oil companies, then to regional chains, and only after that to smaller market participants.
As a result, some independent gas stations either do not receive the necessary volumes of fuel or are forced to purchase it at inflated prices, making their businesses unprofitable.
According to market participants, the fuel crisis has left gas station owners with a choice: sell their businesses or temporarily suspend operations until the situation stabilizes. At the same time, experts say the problems have affected most private gas stations in Russia, which account for about 60% of all gas stations in the country.
As a reminder, deaths of drivers waiting in lines for gasoline have been reported in Russia amid the fuel crisis.
In Russia, companies are being created as clones of Chinese brands, exploiting their reputation and hindering the original companies’ entry into the Russian market. This is stated in a report by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine dated July 13.
