Travelers in a hurry are finding more and more gas stations where they can zip their debit or charge card through a reader at the pump and pay without walking inside after they’ve filled up with gas. Dawn Carlson with Petroleum Marketers of Iowa says even more customer-convenience improvements are on the way. She says we’ll see things like dry-cleaning dropoff at the convenience store and picking it up later in the day. There’s more in store that will add “convenience” to the stores that have become more than gas stations. She’s seen drive-up windows where you could not only fill up at the pump but swing by the window for a gallon of milk without having to get out of the car. Mothers with kids really like that convenience, as Carlson says she’s one of them. Carlson says it’s all the business operators can do these days to keep up with the recent increases in the price of gas, noting they don’t set the prices, but just try to remain competitive. The cost of a gallon of unleaded took a ten-cent jump a couple weeks back and went up another dime this week.
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