09/02/2026
We want to talk openly about something many of you have probably noticed: the unusually large differences in fuel prices in Fargo and the surrounding areas.
We have seen several competitors in our area that are selling below our cost to purchase fuel. What makes the situation even harder to understand is what happens when you look outside of Fargo. For example, as of this post, we have one large national chain advertising regular 87 in Fargo for $3.389/gallon. Meanwhile, the same company has recently advertised regular 87 fuel in surrounding markets at substantially higher prices:
Grand Forks - $3.809
Jamestown - $3.859
Fergus Falls - $3.859
Detroit Lakes - over $3.99
That's a difference of roughly 42¢ to more than 60¢ per gallon compared with Fargo, and these prices are directly from their store websites, updated today. Other chains in the area show similar trends.
We believe in competition. If another business can sell fuel for a few cents less than us, that's part of doing business and it pushes us to be better, but we're a locally owned independent business. We simply cannot match a retail price that is below what we're paying for the fuel itself.
We're sharing this because we don't want our customers looking at our sign and assuming we're taking advantage of them. We're trying to be as competitive as we possibly can while operating a sustainable local business. When we see the same large competitors charging substantially more for fuel in surrounding communities than they're charging here in Fargo, we think it's fair to ask:
Why is Fargo different?
And there's a bigger reason we're talking about this. We completely understand why someone would drive down the street to save money on a gallon of gas. We would never fault anyone for trying to stretch their family's budget, but we also think it's worth looking at what happens long-term.
A locally owned independent business can't continually sell a product for less than it costs us to buy it. If independent businesses eventually get pushed out of a market, the community doesn't just lose another sign on the corner. It loses local competition, local jobs, local investment and a business whose owners live here and spend money here. And that raises an important question when we look at the prices the same large competitors are charging in surrounding communities:
What happens to Fargo fuel prices if someday there are fewer independent businesses left to compete with them?
We're not asking you to ignore price or blindly “shop local.” We're asking our community to understand what's happening behind the numbers. Sometimes saving a few cents today isn't the whole story. We want to be here competing for your business for many years to come and we want Fargo to remain a market where locally owned businesses still have the opportunity to compete.
We appreciate everyone who continues to support Integrity and other locally owned businesses. We'll continue doing our best to be transparent with you, serve you, and support our community!
