In the summer of 1985, gas stations were coming up with all sorts of unique ways to lure you to their pumps.
At the time, the price for regular leaded gas had just dropped to 39.8 cents per litre, but wait, it wasn’t just cheap gas these stations were offering.
Everything from discounts on Eskimos tickets to a free box of Old Dutch chips were advertised.
Then came the discount coupons.
In-store coupons were offered in exchange for a few dollars off your fill-up, gas station cash to use the next time you come back and stackable discounts for loyal customers.
The math on all the ways to save became difficult enough that the CBC’s Harry Nuttall set out to sort it out for drivers.
Gas wars were a regular occurrence in Edmonton for years, but 31 years ago, was when the perks — not just the price — helped you decide where to fill-up.
In the video, you can see some of the novel ways gas stations tried to earn your business in the report which aired on CBC Newsday July 15, 1985.