Not Just Consumers Struggling With Gas Prices

I had been wondering what happened to my local Exxon station, one of only two gas stations in Oakton, Virginia. I even Uttered about it. I noticed some time ago that it no longer displayed prices on the sign. Later I noticed that there was police line-like tape around the pumps. Now just this past weekend the station has been boarded up. I thought it might be undergoing some type of conversion to a new brand or that the particular station might be one of the corporate owned stores that Exxon would be closing. Neither of these are true.

While looking for other information I stumbled upon this Washington Post article about Exxon selling off gas stations. According to the article, the station was independently operated by an Exxon franchise owner but Exxon owns the land. Amid rising gas prices and rents, the owner was forced to shut down after 12 years. She could no longer afford to buy the gas she was selling. It's not just the consumers getting screwed.