My AT&T store manager told me that pickups will be on the 24th in store.....
I would hope the manager of the store would know this.
(I just happed to get the manager as the person whom was the one who took my order)
I dunno... the manager at my AT&T Store emailed me to let me know my order had been processed and he also told me the iPhone would be shipped to my house and to activate it, I would have to call some 800 number, yada yada... I don't think he knows what the hell he's talking about.
FWIW, I preordered in store at around 6pm on the 15th.