Hi, I’m spending the holidays in a town where I keep finding places that aren’t on Google Maps, however I’ve encountered an issue where when I add a store of a certain brand - Google Maps auto merges it with another store down the road. The problem is, this supermarket can have as many as three stores on the same stretch of road, visible at the same time. When I’ve added a new location, I get an email a few minutes later saying that it’s been successfully approved. When I then go to my contributions - it shows me an already existing location at a different address to the one I added. Any advice for how to add the stores so they appear as a unique location? I provide a different address, and I even have photos ready to add once the new location is approved.
Hi @hithere ,
To Add an store
- Click Add a missing place from the menu option in google maps
- Switch to satellite mode, then zoom in and drop the marker at the exact location.
- Select the category Address from the drop-down menu.
- Enter the phone number of the store, working hours , photos and website address (if available)
- Click Save to finish.
If you provide all the details of stores , chance of approval is very more.
Note : Keep your GPS on at the time of adding an missing place
Hello @hithere ,
Thank you so much for posting this thread. I faced this many times & it usually happens when most of the things matches with old listing. I recommend you to check whether the same listing is not available in the same area & try adding again. As mentioned by you; there could be three stores in a line but did they have same name?
Please explain a bit more about the store available there.
Keep us posted.
Hi @gowthamselvam , I’m not certain if you read my original post. I know how to add a store, I’ve added many without any issues.
Thanks @deepakjhic , you hit the nail on the head there. Imagine a Starbucks, they always have the same name and there can be many of them in the same area. The stores I am having trouble with keep getting approved and keep getting redirected to a single store that is 100m down the road. There’s no way to distinguish one store from another than through the address. One can even see them on Street View, and it’s obvious they are different stores, yet Google merges them into one listing.
Here’s a different case, tried it multiple times. When it’s pending it still has the correct address, yet once it gets approved (takes about 15 seconds) the address is changed to the different store that’s on another street a 100m away. 
Thanks @deepakjhic, you hit the nail on the head there. Imagine a Starbucks, they always have the same name and there can be many of them in the same area. The stores I am having trouble with keep getting approved and keep getting redirected to a single store that is 100m down the road. There’s no way to distinguish one store from another than through the address. One can even see them on Street View, and it’s obvious they are different stores, yet Google merges them into one listing.
Hello @hithere ,
Thank you very much for writing back. Multiple businesses can be added using GMB. In case of local guides; if there is same address on every newly added POI it will be merged with old one. I recommend you to try adding after making changes in address collected by automatically by maps. No matter how far is the old listing; if the address same then there are most chances of merging. There would be something that separate the both listing by address. How a postmaster can deliver a postcard to second store while there is same address on postcard. Try adding after making change in address, it will work.
Keep us posted.
Here’s a different case, tried it multiple times. When it’s pending it still has the correct address, yet once it gets approved (takes about 15 seconds) the address is changed to the different store that’s on another street a 100m away.
I was just scrolling map of Lublin few seconds back and found lots of Zabka Stores there. Every store has different address. Since only one claimed by an owner & others are being added by local guide or map user. Again I recommend you to change address and try adding it.
For anyone having the same issue, the workaround solution that worked for me is to add the location with a different address, located a few streets away. It might get approved right away or you might need to wait for someone to validate it (it’s funny, they get validated even when they’re in the wrong location). Once it exists as a listing, you can change the marker location and address - and through this head ache of a workaround you’ll stop Google Maps from merging your listing with one down the street.
Hehe @hithere ,
Second time when I was replying to you; I was thinking the same to suggest you but the trick is not good. I don’t think we can suggest such tricks to local guides. This depends, how you manage to solve any issue. Well, I’m happy you were able to solve the solve the problem.
Thanks for updating.