Intel is opening pop-up stores for the holiday...

Intel is opening pop-up stores for the holiday season in New York (Nov. 23), Chicago (Nov. 25) and Los Angeles (Nov. 26), where consumers can get hands-on experience with Intel-based PCs and tablets and then make a purchase online, a company spokeswoman told us. Intel chose this year to hold the events because of the “new generation of devices” that might not be familiar to consumers, she said. Stores will be staffed by Intel employees who can explain the technology and steer shoppers toward purchases that are right for them, she said. The stores will not carry inventory, she said, but consumers can order products online at the pop-up stores. She said there are plans for deals and promotions inside the stores and “maybe simultaneously with other retailers,” but she wouldn’t expand. Intel will partner with local recyclers and make a donation in cash or electronics to local schools for products, including small electronics, PCs and printers, that consumers bring in for recycling, she said. The pop-up stores will morph throughout the day to showcase a range of products and use cases, starting in the mornings as a “community hub” where visitors can have coffee, she said. The stores will expand in the afternoon to become a “tech showcase” and then evolve into an “entertainment hot spot” at night. Activities will include Friday night movies, game nights, holiday activities for kids, evening concerts and a speaker series, she said. Programming at the spaces will change daily, giving consumers “a reason to come back and see something different,” she said. Intel isn’t disclosing partner companies or SKUs prior to store opening, nor would the company comment on whether the pop-up stores are a test run for permanent Intel stores. Pop-up stores, ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 square feet, will be open 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on Sunday, through Jan. 25.