Gas Station Santa Gives Holiday Gift to His Customers – Lower Prices: 'Some of Them Say It Really Helps'

• Ernie Giannecchini grew up in the Central Valley town of Stockton and wanted to give back to his community by lowering gas prices before the holidays, when fuel costs generally rise
• The former attorney has owned the convenience store and gas station for more than 45 years and says customers tell him the discounted prices really help them during the holidays
• “Some of them say that it really helps them to buy extra gifts for their kids or something a little nicer,” she tells PEOPLE.

Ernie Giannecchini does more than help fill gas tanks, he also encourages the holiday spirit in his community.

While on the phone with PEOPLE, he works the counter and gets verbal and physical high fives from his customers, thanking him for helping them during the holidays.

“I just decided to try to lower my prices as low as possible in the spirit of gratitude for all my loyal customers for the last 45 years,” says Giannecchini, 76. “I’ve had customers say thank you all year, until the one customer who was here. just a few minutes ago.”

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Located in the farmlands of the Central Valley, roughly midway between Sacramento and San Francisco, its customers often commute between major cities. The difference of a few coins between Ernie’s prices and corporate gas station prices has a big impact on their bottom line.

“The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of peace and giving and positive thinking,” says Giannecchini. “And when we can do that, that’s what it’s all about. You can see the smile on the children’s faces, it’s nice to see them happy.”

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He says he played Santa every Christmas “until I didn’t need a pillow to play Santa anymore,” he says with a jovial laugh. “I also played Santa Claus for family and friends for their children. It was always fun to see their reaction. And in a sense, I’m seeing the same reaction right now when I play a bit of Santa,” he adds.

The popular Ernie’s Country Store has been known for generations as a place to buy gas, groceries and great Italian deli. Giannecchini, who speaks both Italian and Spanish fluently, easily transitions between different languages ​​in his multicultural community — and his Italian-inspired shop offers pastas, sauces and, during the holidays, panettone, the traditional Christmas bread.

A cheerful Ernie Giannecchini outside his Ernie’s General Store in Stockton.

Courtesy of Ernie Giannecchini

He says his family didn’t have much time growing up, so small Italian chocolates and amaretto cookies were special to them during Christmas.

“We didn’t get them at other times of the year,” he says.

So it warms him to see his customers at his “best delis west of Italy” spending their fuel savings on something special in his old-fashioned country store. “They feel like they got it for free because right across the street sometimes it’s a dollar more for a gallon,” Giannecchini says.

Ernie Giannecchini at the gas station with his sign showing his low fuel prices.

Courtesy of Ernie Giannecchini

He says the price difference varies and is largely dependent on his gas suppliers, who have tried to give him a break to pass it on to their customers. It currently sells gas for $3.49 a gallon, compared to a nearby Chevron station at $4.39 and a Shell station at $4.30.

“It was like I was Santa in a way or a Thanksgiving turkey,” he says. “It feels really good to be able to do that.”

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The son of Italian immigrants says he knows all too well the financial distress that occurs during the holidays.

“Some of them say that it really helps them to buy extra gifts for their kids or something a little nicer,” says Giannecchini. “And if they (travel) back and forth to the Bay Area, they save quite a bit of money.”

He says that several people have told him that they had some medical expenses and that it helped them tremendously. “It’s very heartwarming to know that people are hurt because of additional costs, but this has saved them a little bit,” says Giannecchini.

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And he says owning a grocery store has given him far more satisfaction than his days as a public defender. He grew up locally, attended college at UC Davis and graduated from their Italian campus before heading to law school.

“I didn’t like the justice system, so I decided to quit,” says Giannecchini. “I took over my cousin’s job just before the gas crisis.”

So in 1979, he lowered his prices and got more customers. And loyal customers. His parents are now gone and he says he feels like his employees and customers are now his family.

“People ask when you’re going to retire. Well, people hold me and make me feel young,” says Giannecchini. “I could have retired a few years ago and then I think what will I do if I retire? After this I almost felt like I had put on my old Santa clothes.”

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Source: HIS Education