Live visit information based on anonymised and aggregated location data is overlaid on the popular times graph in Google Maps and search results.

If it takes off, the service might help spread the flow of customers around businesses a little more evenly during the festive season.

Google now also displays data about how long people spend in venues and the hours of specific services within stores and restaurants.

Jamie Aspinall, product manager at Google, wrote in a blogpost announcing the updates:

“Now on Google, you have access to these various hours, so you’ll know what time to pop by the pharmacy at your local drugstore or supermarket, when food delivery begins at a nearby restaurant.”

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