Google introduced indoor maps inside the new Google Maps 6.0 for Android

What Google Indoor Maps Really Mean for Retailers

A Google Maps™ screenshot from Android™

We’ll walk through the top three considerations for retailers.

Google introduced indoor maps inside the new Google Maps 6.0 for Android last week. We did a simple experiment.

As a shopper, we zoomed into one of the indoor maps of a local Home Depot and searched for “paint.” We were automatically repositioned to the Lowe’s hardware store down the road.

Not what we – or Home Depot – expected.

Google can help get customers to the front door of the store. But what happens after the customer goes into the store – both virtually and physically – needs to be carefully evaluated.

For customers, it’s a likely win. Customers get helpful information on how a store is set up, where to find products and, potentially, relevant deals.

For retailers, it’s not so straightforward. Google’s announcement talked about indoor maps and location technologies, but their business model remains unrevealed.