Inspiration
As more brands invest in omnichannel strategies, we noticed a recurring friction point: users struggled to discover the nearest store, available services, or ongoing offers—often resorting to calling helplines or navigating complex websites. We were inspired to build something intuitive, scalable, and industry-agnostic that lets businesses turn “search” into footfall and engagement.
Find My Store was born out of a simple question: What if discovering a nearby store was as easy and intelligent as asking Google Maps for coffee shops?
What it does
Find My Store is a fully customizable, map-based store locator platform for businesses of any size and industry. It enables:
🔍 Smart search using location autocomplete or GPS
Nearby store listing with adjustable radius
Store-specific offers and services
Appointment booking system with email and Google Calendar sync
WhatsApp integration for direct contact
Google Maps-based navigation
Admin portal for managing stores, offers, filters, categories, schedules, branding, and analytics
Use Cases:
Retailers listing stores with promotions Hospitals guiding users to nearby clinics with specific insurance support Banks showing ATMs based on walk-in queue time or availability EV networks listing chargers by connector type and live status
How we built it
Frontend (Angular) Developed using Angular 14, offering reactive forms, modular architecture, and performance-optimized components Integrated: Google Maps JavaScript API for rendering maps, markers, and custom styles Places Autocomplete API for intelligent search Geolocation API for real-time positioning Mobile-first UI with custom theming and dynamic filters Backend (Node.js + Express + MongoDB) Built REST APIs for: Store creation (single/bulk) Offer and schedule management Appointment handling Appointment system integrates with: Google Calendar API for automatic calendar updates Email API for confirmations and reminders Admin Portal Authentication-secured portal for business owners Upload stores via Excel templates Configure brand colors, logos, header links, and map styles Link offers to specific stores Country restriction logic for autocomplete optimization
Challenges we ran into
Autocomplete Relevance: Autocomplete often suggested global results. We implemented country restrictions and location biasing to improve accuracy.
Bulk Upload Image Support: Allowing businesses to upload images via Excel required logic for validating image URLs and rendering fallbacks.
Custom Marker & Map Styling: Supporting brand-specific marker types and JSON-based map styles required dynamic rendering and fallback mechanisms.
Calendar Time Zone Sync: Ensuring appointments matched store time zones and didn't conflict across countries took significant effort.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Deployed across multiple industries (banking, retail, healthcare, EV) with the same codebase
🌍 Built for multi-country, multi-language scaling
Enabled businesses to track user behavior using Google Analytics Designed a system where non-tech users can manage data and UI independently via the admin panel Integrated more than 6 Google Maps Platform APIs effectively
What we learned
Building platforms, not features: Flexibility and extensibility are key to adoption across sectors
Even small UX details (like button labels or default zoom levels) significantly impact user trust and behavior
Leveraging the Google Maps Platform suite cohesively leads to real-world value beyond simple geolocation
What's next for Find My Store
Google Business Profile API integration for syncing store data directly from verified listings
Native mobile app wrappers (iOS & Android) using the same APIs
Multi-language support for global scale
Deeper analytics dashboards for actionable insights into user location behavior
AI-based location recommendation engine based on past user interactions and preferences
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