COLUMBUS, Ohio – Gas prices, which jumped before the busy Thanksgiving holiday weekend, have retreated but are up slightly since last Monday.
Retailers are hoping the lower prices fuel more trips to stores this holiday season. But analysts say shoppers still may spend conservatively as they search for deals and face higher costs in other areas, such as food and health care.
The average price of regular gasoline in Columbus was $2.72 a gallon in Monday’s survey from auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and WEX Inc. That is five cents higher than last Monday, but 26cents cheaper than a month ago.
The statewide average price of $ 2.76 is up two cents compared with a week ago but about 40 cents cheaper than a year ago.
Ohio came in just under the national average of $2.77 on Monday. That’s down four pennies from a week earlier, and is 50 cents less than at this time last year.