Google Search received an update on July 28, Tuesday that helps users determine the best time to shop at local businesses while avoiding the "rush hours" and long lines. By clicking on a local company after a search, card details such as its address, phone number, open hours, and "popular times" data that show the establishment's busiest time of the day are returned.
Users can also see a bar graph that shows the nearby businesses' most store traffic day-by-day, according to Tech Crunch. Foot traffic is heaviest during this time.
The new feature is ideal for users who want to avoid long lines such as when visiting a grocery store, coffee shop, or gym. They can avoid businesses' "rush hours."
Google shared that the search feature is available for businesses and places worldwide. They number in the millions.
Smartphone users can access it through various methods. They include gadgets with an Internet connection, mobile web browsers, and Android phones' Google Search App.
Several apps already show users the wait times for various businesses, such as restaurants or theme parks. However, Google's feature is unique.
The company compared it to stores' use of tools such as traffic counters to get more accurate data about customer visits. However, Google is not providing more detailed data to them.
The new feature is built with the same anonymous Android location data that Google uses to estimate how heavy vehicular traffic is on a particular road, and then pipes it into its mobile devices, according to The Verge. This process gives it a leg up on the competition.