Fort Mill Harris Teeter to sell gas; Rock Hill prices still lowest in nation

Harris Teeter is about the enter the York County gasoline wars.

The grocery chain is building its first gas station adjacent to the Fort Mill store at the intersection of U.S. 21 and Gold Hill Road, company officials said. It will be the second station operated by Harris Teeter. The company got into gas sales with the Harris Teeter in Folly Beach near Charleston.

Company officials have not said when the gas station will open, or what its prices will be.

But gas analysts said Thursday, Harris Teeter will have to be competitive with others stations on U.S. 21.

If open today that would mean a likely price of $1.81. Of the four nearby stations, two stations – Quik Trip and Murphy Express – are selling a gallon of regular gas for $1.79, BP is selling for $1.81 and Exxon for $1.89 along U.S. 21 near Fort Mill.

The Folly Beach Harris Teeter station prices are the same at its competitors – $2.01 for a gallon of regular gas on Thursday.

The Fort Mill prices, while 51 cents below the national average of $2.30, still are higher than the lowest gas prices in the country found just down the interstate.

Rock Hill continues to boast of the lowest gas prices in the United States, said Gregg Laskoski of Gas Buddy which tracks gas prices nationally. Ten stations in Rock Hill were selling regular gas for $1.65 a gallon Thursday morning.

The Walmart Neighborhood Market and the 7-11 store on Cherry Road were recently the national trendsetters. Their $1.67 price was the lowest in the country, attracting local and national media attention.

Both those locations are corporate stores and their companies have competitive gas pricing policies.

Other stations at a $1.65 Thursday morning were:

▪ Kangaroo stations on Ebenezer Avenue and Hollis Lake Road, and the intersection of South Herlong Avenue and Heckle Boulevard.

▪ 7-11 at the corner of Cherry Road and Oakland Avenue.

▪ Gulf at the corner of Cherry Road and Heckle Boulevard.

▪ Quik Trip stations at Cherry Road and Heckle Boulevard and Celanese and Bryant Boulevard.

▪ Murphy Express in Newport off Succession Way.

▪ BP on Cherry Road near Northwestern High School.

Laskoski said gas prices could continue to fall, but expected the rate of decline to slow.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Fort Mill Harris Teeter to sell gas; Rock Hill prices still lowest in nation."