Gas prices push retail sales up as wholesale costs jump
Producer prices rose the most in four and a half years in September, and the New York Post warns costs may keep climbing through the holidays; the pump is thriving.
On air: Hank Ledger and Chip Darnell on The Five O'ClockPublished
Photo: Burger · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBNWatch it as it aired: Hank Ledger and Chip Darnell on this story, from The Five O'Clock at 4:11 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Reuters's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by Reuters: “US producer prices post largest gain in 4-1/2 years; expensive gasoline boosts retail sales”, with reporting from New York Post.
- Covered on BBN on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 4:11 PM ET on The Five O'Clock, by Hank Ledger and Chip Darnell.
- Topics: US.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
What BBN said about it
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorWholesale prices jumped by the most in four and a half years, and a big reason is expensive gasoline.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe same gas is also pushing up retail sales.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorRetail sales are up, Hank! People are out there spending, and that's good news!
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThey're spending at the pump, Chip. The sales went up because the gas cost more, not because anyone bought extra.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorSo your fill-up is basically a donation to the economy. You're a patriot!
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorA patriot who now owns about two fewer burritos a week. The New York Post warns these energy costs could keep prices climbing right through the holidays.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThrough the holidays?
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorWholesale is what stores pay before they hand the bill to you.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorSo the turkey, the gifts and the drive to grandma's all get a little pricier.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe more it hurts, the better the report looks! That's a win for somebody!
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe somebody is the gas pump. It's having a record quarter and never ran a sale.
More Shorts
All videos →
Photo: Christian David · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: MarkSweep · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Coolcaesar at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Village Global · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Boereck assumed… · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Manecke · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Thursday, October 15, 2026 · the Your Money archive · all months
More in Your Money
All Your Money →Netflix cuts 1,000 jobs and fires its chief content officer
The New York Times says Netflix cut the jobs and dropped its chief content officer even with strong revenues and profits; the plot, apparently…
Coffee's coming glut may not be enough to calm volatile prices
Exchange-certified coffee stockpiles must be rebuilt before prices steady, which could eventually show up at your local café; for now, the beans are…
Young adults' net worth plunges while boomers cash bigger checks
The Daily Caller says median net worth for people under thirty-five fell twenty-three percent, while the Financial Times reports Celanese is raising…
Michael Dell, a Dot-Com Era Survivor, Has Tips to Beat an AI Bust
Dell says building products only when they are ordered, rather than borrowing heavily for long-term AI bets, is what has protected his company; no…