To the Office via the Store

Japanese company Aid DCC has created a nice Google Map that gives directions to their Osaka office with the option of going via different types of store.

Here We Go To Aid DCC's Office displays an animated route from the nearest subway stations to the Aid DCC office. Users of the map can choose to get directions that include stops at different categories of stores along the route, e.g. via bread shops, banks or flower shops.

The map includes custom designed circular information windows that make a nice change to the default square information windows that you normally associate with the Google Maps API.

Find a Record Shop with Google Maps

Today's theme on Google Maps Mania is definitely a lament for the continuing demise of off-line shopping.

As a teenager I would always look forward to Saturday mornings, which would inevitably involve a pilgrimage to a record shop and the purchase of some magical black vinyl. Even as a jaded adult I still love browsing around record shops. The problem is that they are becoming increasingly thin on the ground.

Recordshops.org is a store locator that will help you find your nearest record shop. The store locator is very easy to use. Just enter your address and the nearest record shos to your location will be displayed on a Google Map.

London's Tech Scene on Google Maps

Tech City Map is a visually striking Google Map of the technology companies and startups in east London.

The map shows the locations of London's silicon roundabout area. The 'show networks' option on the map allows users to visualise the connections between the over 800 companies. If you click on an individual map marker there is also an option to view the latest Tweets from the selected tech company.

Hat-tip: Street View Funny

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Find Stores Worldwide with Google Maps

Store-Locator.com is a worldwide store locator which has mapped over half a million stores worldwide. The application allows users to find stores in a huge number of locations worldwide or to view all the stores for a specific store chain.

From the Store-Locator.com home page you can navigate to a dedicated Google Map showing stores in individual cities or for specific store chains. For example, if you select New York you can view the locations of stores in New York on a single map.

If you select a marker on a Store-Locator.com map and click on the 'store hours' link you are taken to the store's individual entry. Here you can view opening hours, the store's address, contact information, website address and view the brands, products and services provided.

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A Google Maps Store Locator

Hugo Boss Store Locator

I don't normally review store locators but this one from Hugo Boss is very nice. The store locator does what you would expect, allowing customers of Hugo Boss to find the nearest stores on Google Maps. It also looks fantastic.

The Google Map is used as both the background to the store locator and as its focal point. The Hugo Boss header is overlaid on top of the map so that the map seamlessly integrates with the overall design of the Hugo Boss website.

Hugo Boss has also saturated the colour of the Google Maps satellite imagery. When I first saw the map I thought that Hugo Boss had replaced the Google Maps satellite imagery with different satellite map tiles. However comparing the imagery with Google Maps shows that it is the same base layer, only the colours have somehow been filtered to make them appear much sharper than they normally do on Google Maps.

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A Great Google Maps Store Locator

The euroShell Card Truck Network

The euroShell Card Truck Network is a great example of how to do a store locator map extremely well.

Shell have used Google Maps to display the locations of their gas stations throughout Europe. Nothing new there. However Shell have allowed the user to filter the map by a number of options to ensure that the customer can always find the services that they require. The filters include shops, restaurants, showers and guarded parking.

The map also includes options to plan a route and to download the created maps or GPS files.

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How to Find An Open Starbucks

If, like me, you are in desperate need of coffee today you should use the Starbucks Finder which displays all the Starbucks, worldwide, that are currently open on a Google Map.



These three Google Maps based, smart phone friendly, store finders, all come from the same developer:

1. A Starbucks finder - that shows Starbucks that are currently open (Worldwide)
2. A Tim Hortons coffee finder - (Canada & US), and
3. A Skating Rink finder - (Canada Only)

All three apps feature click-to-call and auto-positioning based on your current location. The Starbucks app is also sensitive to the current time and time zone.

If you don't have a smart phone don't worry all three maps also work on your desktop computer.

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