Sometimes the checkout line takes longer than the shopping. You run into the supermarket for a couple of things, end up behind someone filling their cart to the top, and all you can do is sulk, knowing you’ll be late. On top of that, your parking is going to be more expensive by the time you get out.
Google Maps can help with that. There’s a feature called Popular Times that gives you an idea of how busy a supermarket gets before you even leave the house. It’s easy to miss when your first instinct is to just grab directions.
Google Maps’ Popular Times shows you when stores get busy
It’s been around since 2015, but it’s gotten better
Google Maps’ Popular Times is a useful tool for getting an idea of when a store you want to visit gets busy. You can check the graph to see how busy the store gets during the week. Depending on the location, it shows whether the store is busier than usual right now. Google says the idea is to help people decide where and when to go.
Popular Times has been around for more than 10 years. Google introduced it in 2015, then added live busyness information in 2016. In 2020, Google expanded live coverage to more places, including supermarkets.
You can plan around a supermarket’s busiest hours
The graph breaks it down by day and hour
The Popular Times graph can help when you’re in a hurry but still need to swing by the grocery store. Search for a supermarket in Google Maps, open its listing, and scroll down to Popular times. If you don’t see Popular Times, tap the hours dropdown menu. You can use the dropdown menu to choose a day, or use the arrows beside the graph or swipe on your phone to move between days.
Google says the bars measure each hour against that store’s busiest hour of the week. They won’t tell you how many shoppers are actually inside. So you can’t compare two stores by bar height. The feature would be better if it let you compare two days side by side, since switching back and forth can get annoying.
If you use Google Maps on your phone, you might see an estimate of how long people typically spend there. For example, when I looked up Silom Supermarket on Hollywood Blvd, it said that people usually spend 25 minutes there. That can help you do the math and see whether you have enough time to swing by before you need to be at work or somewhere else. That estimate was not visible on Google Maps on desktop.
Live busyness tells you what the usual graph can’t
That “Busier than usual” warning is worth checking
Before going to the supermarket, you should check the live information, even if the usual graph says it’s not too busy. An unexpected crowd could make the checkout lines longer.
When Google has live information available, you should see it directly on the Popular Times graph. When I checked a Starbucks listing, a red indicator showed “Busier than usual.” The solid red showed how busy it usually gets at that hour, and the transparent red above it showed how much busier it was right then.
Google explains that promotions, discounts, and other unexpected circumstances can bring in a bigger crowd than usual. If the live information shows an unusually busy store or supermarket, it may be better to wait a little or check another one.
Popular Times isn’t available at every supermarket
Google needs enough visits before the graph shows up
The downside is that not every business has the graph. You could look up a business right before you’re ready to step out, only to realize it doesn’t have it. It all comes down to how Google gathers the information. The tech giant needs enough visits from people who’ve opted in to Location History before it can show the graph. And it’s not possible for the store to add it manually, either.
If a place is low on business, Google can’t be sure the numbers are accurate or that they can’t be traced back to anyone, so it won’t publish them at all. If you’re heading to your neighborhood mini market, you’re unlikely to see Popular Times for it.
Your go-to supermarket is more likely to have the graph
People shop there often enough for Google to notice
It’s true that Google needs enough visits before it can show Popular Times. But a supermarket that gets plenty of customers is more likely to meet that requirement.
When I looked up Jons Marketplace and Silom Supermarket, both had Popular Times in their listings. So even if your usual supermarket doesn’t have the graph, you could check another nearby store before giving up on the feature altogether.
Popular Times lets you choose when to go, which could mean less time stuck at checkout and a smaller parking bill. The graph shows when your supermarket usually gets packed, and the live data tells you when it’s busier than usual right now. Some listings even let you tap an hour and see the usual wait time. Your corner market might not have any of this, but your regular supermarket is more likely to. So next time, before you hit Directions, scroll down a little first.