Tranter Banter

If the thought of Christmas shopping and battling crowds or finding your way around a congested mall or store are more than you can handle, I have great news.   Just in time to maybe prevent some major anxiety attacks, Google Maps announces a way to keep you “one step ahead of the crowd.”

From Black Friday through the holiday season, Google Maps will help you devise your holiday shopping game plan.    While visiting some of your favorite popular retail locations including Best Buy, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Harrods, and more,  you will be able to figure the fastest and best way to get around by utilizing the store layout feature.   This feature is also available for many malls and even airports.  The maps are accurate and easy to use.

Using Google Maps simply zoom in to a participating store.  The familiar blue dot icon will help you figure out where the departments are, the food court, the restroom and so forth. You will even be able to find the ATM.  For many locations, you can even get indoor walking directions to find the best route from one store to the next.

To access these maps, you will first need to update your Google Maps program on your Android device.  Visit Google Play on your phone or desktop and select “update.”  This just takes a few minutes.  You will immediately notice the dimensional buildings and the different look.

I tried this feature out for our local area.  Sure enough, all the Best Buy departments are labeled.  Unfortunately, the Macy’s departments were not.  But the Macy’s in New York City had the department layouts for all levels. 

In our local area, several stores are now included in Google Maps including Game Stop, Victoria Secrets and more. 

This new maps app is a must have!