Terry O'Reilly
speaker
4,557 appearances
20 recordings
1 series
first heard Apr 2026
last heard 2d ago
Terry O'Reilly’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
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recordings per month · last 12 monthsRecordings per month over the last 12 months — 20 in all, peaking in Aug 2026 with 5.
Appearances
And we've tried to squeeze as many as possible into this episode.
Today, we'll talk about why gas prices are always advertised with decimal points.
We'll listen to some commercials starring kids and play Where Are They Now?
And we'll talk about a famous luxury brand that is actually owned by a charity.
And that luxury brand will surprise you.
Let's go to our first question of the day.
On Facebook, Nelson Nelson asks, Why is gas sold at gas stations priced with a decimal point, like $1.889 per litre?
Well, that's a very good and interesting question, Nelson Nelson.
It has been that way since the 1930s, by the way, and we all just accept it now.
And that nine-tenths of a cent pricing continues, even though Canada has phased out the penny.
The explosion of car sales in the 1920s also triggered an immense demand for gasoline, which led to the rapid growth of gas stations in both Canada and the U.S.
Throughout the 1920s, gas prices averaged between 20 and 30 cents per gallon.
During that period, the government implemented a one-tenth of a cent per gallon gas tax, using that revenue for road construction and infrastructure improvements.
Not long after, that gas tax increased to a penny a gallon.
But then, the Depression hit.
Suddenly, the demand for gas plummeted, and gas stations found themselves competing intensely for customers.
As the crippling decade unfolded, gas prices fell to 10 cents per gallon.
At that price, it was difficult for gas retailers to add the one-cent gas tax, as it was a massive 10% increase, a budget buster for families struggling to put food on the table.
So to make that penny gas tax feel less of a hit on the pocketbook, gas retailers employed some age-old marketing psychology.
Walk into any store and you see prices that end in 99 cents.
Showing 2761–2780 of 4,557 · page 139 of 228
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