Earlier I was with one of my mom’s coworkers as she was returning a rental van. Two things that needed to be done before we could turn it in was run it through a car wash and fill the tank to 3/4th full. I don’t need to tell anyone about how high the prices are. It took $50 to fill 1/4th of a tank. That, however, is not what has driven me to post this.

While I was inside the station waiting to pay I did what we all do, let my eyes wander over all the goodies arrayed on the counter. Kit Kats, donuts, gum, lifesavers, so on and so forth. My stomach was wanting munchies, but I knew I couldn’t get any impulse buys.

That’s when it struck me. Impulse buys. An entire industry that hinges on frivolous spending. An industry that faces the harsh reality of the current economic situation.

Ask yourself this: When was the last time you bought a candy bar? Did you buy it out of a vending machine, at the grocery store, or at a gas station? How many times in the past six months to a year have you looked at an impulse buy and decided against it because of gas prices?

Doesn’t seem all that important or shocking does it? Yet, think on this. Due to shipping, all those impulse buy items will start to rise in price, making people even less likely to buy them. In time, lack of demand will make the producers cut back on production and not ship as far. Loss in production will result in lay offs as less people will be needed to make the items.

Makes you stop and think doesn’t it? Granted, this isn’t going to happen over night, and if something finally happens to reign in the gas terro.. er.. companies, then this might not happen at all. I’d suspect the first symptom will be sales of said impulse buys, then slowly seeing a smaller selection.

You know the saddest part? Those hit hardest will probably be gas stations themselves. Most stations find their profit from the stuff inside the station, not the gas itself.