Google Map Upgrades Pickup Features Ahead Of Holiday Season

Google Map has upgraded its Pickup features in order to avoid the holiday shopping crowds while you’re gift or grocery shopping. Google made the announcement of the new features in a blog post on Tuesday.

Pickup with Google Maps was first launched earlier this year and has since expanded to cover over 2,000 stores across 30 US states including Kroger Family stores like Kroger, Fry’s, Ralphs and Marianos, Google says.

With the new update, customers will be able to track orders status in Maps, share ETA with the store and let them know when it arrived. people who use pickup with Maps "typically wait less than five minutes for their groceries,"

“To keep the coming weeks stress-free, we’re launching new Google Maps tools to help you stay safe, maximize your time with loved ones and find that perfect holiday brunch spot,” Google stated.

Google also added Area Busyness to Maps which is expected “to help you instantly spot when a neighborhood or part of town is near or at its busiest,” and this will be available globally on Android and iOS.

“Want more info? Tap on a neighborhood to see how busy it is at different times of day, along with the restaurants, shops and recreational places (like a museum) within it, so you can decide if you want to visit. Area Busyness starts rolling out globally on Android and iOS, in time for this holiday season.”

Also, the search giant has expanded the Directory tab to Android and iOS for all airports, malls and transit stations around the world.

The Directory tab will help users find their way around large buildings fast like running through the mall in search of a last-minute gift or dashing across the airport to catch your flight.

According to Google, with the use of this data, “you can quickly see what types of stores are in a building (like toy stores or jewelry boutiques), airport lounges, car rentals, parking lots and more. And within each category, you can see a list of the relevant businesses, in addition to helpful information about whether it’s open, its rating and what floor it's on.”