The Washington Post has an interesting article that discusses all the
consumption that takes places on the way to and from work. Americans
consume tons of food, music, audio books, cell phone time, drinks and more
on their long commutes.
Americans make 51.3 billion trips to and from work in their own vehicles every
year, accompanied by fleets of helicopters scrutinizing the traffic, scores of
meteorologists watching the weather and the cheerful sounds of drive-time radio, offering the latest news and entertainment. The daily ride has given rise to audio books, the travel mug and a 7-Eleven Inc. trademark, Dashboard Dining. The national motto has become grab and go, and legions of businesses work feverishly to fill a near-sacred space: the cup holder.
To a commuter the cup holder is a sacred place and more restaurant chains and
convenience stores are trying new items that can be placed in it. The Post says McDonald's is selling a salad inside of a cup, Campbell's offers cup-sized soups and 7-Eleven sells fruit in cups. But it is really coffee that drives profits from commuters. The car being filled with gas generates small profits, but the Post says it is really the drivers desire for caffeine that generates big profits for gas stations with convenience stores.
Even though the nation's 138,000 convenience stores sell three-quarters of the
gas in the country, says Jeff Lenard, spokesman for the convenience store association, a car is much more than its tank. It's the thirsty and caffeine-fueled driver the stores desire so intensely. "A lot of convenience stores think of coffee as the new black gold as opposed to gas," he says. "You only make a penny or two profit on gas, if you're lucky. You can make more off a 12-ounce cup of coffee than a 12-gallon fill-up."
