Intel has launched a series of pop-up “AI Experience” stores in five cities across the globe in an ambitious push to promote the next wave of AI-powered personal computers. With stores in New York, London, Paris, Munich, and Seoul, the initiative highlights the chipmaker’s effort to reconnect with consumers amid intensifying competition in the AI PC processor market.
The temporary stores invite customers to test-drive laptops from major manufacturers including Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, LG, Samsung, and Microsoft. Each location offers a glimpse of Intel’s vision for the AI PC era, featuring demonstrations of on-device artificial intelligence and early previews of next-generation hardware.
Brett Hannath, Intel’s chief marketing officer, called the project “an AI-powered shopping experience” designed to show how Intel and its partners are “powering new ways for communities to create, game, work, learn, and connect.”
Targeting Gamers
The Munich store, located in the city’s historic Viktualienmarkt, is drawing attention for reasons beyond its sleek interior. Local tech enthusiasts reportedly spotted laptops running on what appear to be Intel’s unreleased Panther Lake processors (not confirmed by Intel), chips that will use the company’s new 18A fabrication process. According to Intel, Panther Lake promises 50% greater performance per watt compared with the current Lunar Lake series, representing a critical step in the company’s ongoing turnaround strategy.
The Munich site, in partnership with local retailers, doubles as a functioning shop where visitors can purchase devices. A gaming section equipped with Dell Alienware and Lenovo Legion machines offers hands-on play with well-known gaming titles, reflecting Intel’s intent to appeal to younger, performance-focused buyers.
Intel’s AI Hub in Asia
The Seoul pop-up, launched in the fashionable Gangnam neighborhood, has a broader strategic role. South Korea is broadly seen as a key market for AI PCs in Asia. Roughly 40% of Intel-based PCs sold at major Korean retailers are AI-enabled models. Intel’s collaboration with domestic partners such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and software developer HANCOM positions Korea as a proving ground for the company’s integrated approach to AI hardware and software.
At the Seoul opening, Intel reaffirmed that its next-generation Panther Lake processor will debut globally in January 2026. The chip combines CPU, GPU, and NPU (neural processing unit) components on Intel’s advanced 1.8-nanometer node, a design aimed at accelerating AI inference while conserving power.
Korean software firms demonstrated applications built on Intel’s AI stack, from intelligent office assistants to real-time gaming guides, demonstrating how local developers might expand the chipmaker’s AI PC strategy beyond hardware.
Global Strategy, Challenging Market
Intel’s investment in retail pop-ups signals a renewed focus on marketing and brand visibility after several challenging years. The company remains the largest processor vendor in the Windows PC market by revenue but faces challenges in selling its AI-branded chips. Analysts note that most buyers still choose new laptops for traditional reasons (cost, speed, size) rather than explicit AI functionality.
Still, Intel’s worldwide store rollout suggests a company moving to define the next personal computing narrative before rivals do. By placing AI-capable devices directly in consumers’ hands, and hinting at powerful new silicon waiting in the wings, Intel is working to rebuild excitement ahead of a crucial product cycle.
If the Panther Lake processors deliver the promised performance leap, the company’s holiday pop-ups may be remembered not just as marketing showcases but as the first public step in Intel’s long climb back to leadership in the personal computing era it helped create.
