Sheetz Alerts Pennsylvania Consumers to Tobacco Companies' 'April Fools Trick'; Guarantees...

Sheetz Alerts Pennsylvania Consumers to Tobacco Companies' 'April Fools
Trick'; Guarantees Lowest Cigarette Prices Allowed by Law

Altoona, PA - March 30, 2009 - In response to the April 1 increase in federal
excise taxes, Sheetz Convenience Stores in Pennsylvania are guaranteeing the
lowest allowed price on cigarettes in the state.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061212/CLTU039LOGO )

"Pennsylvania sets a state minimum on cigarette prices," said Louie Sheetz,
executive vice president, marketing, Sheetz, Inc., "and if we sold them for
less than the state minimum, I'd end up in jail. However, I can promise you
that Sheetz customers in Pennsylvania won't pay a penny more than the state
minimum."

Sheetz, Inc. also has been alerting its customers that the tobacco companies
raised prices more than three weeks earlier than the April 1 scheduled
increase in the federal excise tax. The tax is increasing as part of
President Obama's funding plan for State Children's Health Insurance Program
(SCHIP.) This program helps states provide health care to more than 5 million
of the nation's uninsured children through a matching funds program.

"The cigarette manufacturers think they're pulling an April Fools trick on
their customers," said Mr. Sheetz. "Consumers were expecting an increase April
1, but the tobacco companies actually raised the prices as early as March 11,
which forced us to raise our retail prices. Now, they're just pocketing that
extra money. Add to that the fact that in the past few weeks, they've also
raised their own prices, and so now they're taking in an extra seven bucks per
carton. In my book, that's more than an April Fool's trick. That's just
wrong."

Sheetz held off on passing on the increases as long as possible because it
wanted to protect consumers. Stores posted notices at the counter explaining
that manufacturers took the increases early. Mr. Sheetz sympathizes with
customers who express grief and anger when confronted with the higher prices.

"I'm angry too," said Mr. Sheetz. "It was unnecessary for the cigarette
manufacturers to raise prices early, and I'm calling them out on it. At least
we're able to guarantee our customers the lowest price on cigarettes in
Pennsylvania. That will help."

Established in 1952 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Sheetz, Inc. is one of America's
fastest growing family-owned and operated convenience store chains, with more
than $4.9 billion in revenue for 2008 and more than 12,000 employees. The
company operates more than 350 convenience locations throughout Pennsylvania,
West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina. Sheetz provides
an award-winning menu of MTO(R) subs, sandwiches and salads, which are ordered
through unique touch-screen order point terminals. Sheetz currently ranks
82nd on the Forbes list of largest private companies, and has ranked for seven
consecutive years on the list of Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania. All
Sheetz convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For more
information, visit www.sheetz.com.

CONTACT: Monica Jones
Sheetz, Inc.
814.941.5183 office

/PRNewswire -- March 30/

SOURCE Sheetz