US fuel demand dropsSince January, fuel prices in the US of A have risen by an average of 30% putting a gallon of unleaded at around $3.98 (compared to in the $8.51 UK).

This rise has made a dramatic change to the habits of motorists across the pond, causing demand for fuel to drop by about 5% on average. Many are resorting to public transport, Hypermiling or are avoiding using their cars at all!

As motorists opt to use their cars less, on-line shopping has seen its biggest rise in over 4 years with a rise of over 19% over April last year. These trends are great news or stores such as Ebay but are likely to hit smaller communities harder where local jobs and lively hoods depend heavily on the local retail sector.