Hess Wants Out of Retail Gas Business: Report

The Hess Express gas station and convenience store at Route 378 and Black River Road in Lower Saucon Township was a port in the storm for many local residents during the blackout caused by Superstorm Sandy last year, when most businesses in the area were closed and gasoline was hard to find.

That could change, however, if parent company Hess Corporation follows through on a plan to divest itself of retail gas operations; a plan that was reported on Tuesday by Bloomberg News and the Morning Call, among others.

Hess spokesman Dennis Moynihan denied Tuesday that Hess is planning to close any of its stores and called it "business as usual" at the company's retail level.

"Our commitment to competitive prices and customer services—it will not change," Moynihan said. "The brand is strong, and it will live long into the future."

If Hess would sell off its retail gas stores, however, it could affect approximately 7,500 retail employees, according to the article published by the Morning Call.

In Lower Saucon, closure of the gas station in the Black River Plaza would likely deal another blow to the township's small--and arguably struggling--retail tax base.

Along the Route 378 corridor, the former Regal Cinemas multiplex was recently revived as Revolutions at Saucon Valley--a large dining and entertainment venue.

However, other commercial closures--such as the Pathmark supermarket in 2011--have eroded tax revenue and forced local residents to travel further for shopping.