Christmas shopping is guaranteed to unleash my inner Grinch.
The urgency, the icy temperatures, the emptying shelves, and the crowds sweet Santa, the crowds!
They turn my Yuletide glee into deep holiday blues.
This year, however, Google Maps is delivering some festive help.
The app has gift-wrapped a bundle of new features to help shoppers survive the holiday rush.
First up isArea Busyness, which analyzes geographical data to showwhen a neighborhood is crowded.
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Google says that feature is rolling out globally onAndroidandiOSin time for this holiday season.
Next up is an expandedDirectory tab for airports, malls, and transit stations around the world.
The updated feature lets you quickly see the stores and facilities inside a building.
That should make it easier to do your last-minute shopping or catch a flight if youve just had enough.
Google also upgraded its grocery pickup feature.
DubbedPickup with Google Maps, the feature is now available in over 2,000 Kroger Family stores across the US.
And ifyoud rather not cook, the app is also gettingextra details on dining spots in the country.
These features should make holiday shopping a bit more bearable.
Theyve already encouraged me to ditchAmazonand support my local stores instead.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).
