Building off of its Popular Times feature introduced last year, Google Maps is adding a real-time look at locations during their busiest times of the day.
With this feature, you can see how actually busy the place is right now, which can help you decide whether you’d like to visit now or wait for later date and time when it’s less crowded.
”Whether you’re rushing to pick up a last minute gift or seeking a lively bar for some festive spirit, check Popular Times for a sneak preview of what to expect when you arrive.”
What about stores that have different departments with separate hours? Google has thought of that too. Another new feature being rolled out to Search and Maps is the addition of department and service hours. Now you can find out when the pharmacy department opens at your local supermarket, when the auto repair department is open at your local car dealerships, and so on.
So now we know and can verify the busiest times of a location and its various departments, but how long do people stay once they get there? Is it just a quick in and out, or are you more likely to spend an hour or two at a particular location?
Building off of the Popular Times capabilities, another new feature is rolling out that will let you know how long people typically spend at a given location. Now you can plan your day down to the minute and figure out if you have time to get all your errands done before dinner, for example.
All three of these features are now live in Google Search and Maps.
