It's disturbingly creepy to think that stores would even think of doing this, but on the other hand it's also an indication of how clueless the general population is about the amount of identifiable data they're unconsciously "leaking" through personal, (nearly) always-on devices. My laptop is setup with a random MAC precisely to prevent this sort of tracking.
Interestingly, the unbranded Android phones I have (one looks very much like an iPhone, ironically enough) all came with this "feature" of a random MAC every time the WiFi is turned on/off, although that was more likely the manufacturer not bothering to give each one a unique MAC.
All the more reason to keep the WiFi turned off unless you're actually using it, and this might be a bit on the paranoid side, but I do the same for the cell radio (airplane mode) - it's on only when I'm expecting a call or making one.
At the other end of the scale, this tracking via MAC almost invites making them think several million customers have suddenly entered the store...
Interestingly, the unbranded Android phones I have (one looks very much like an iPhone, ironically enough) all came with this "feature" of a random MAC every time the WiFi is turned on/off, although that was more likely the manufacturer not bothering to give each one a unique MAC.
All the more reason to keep the WiFi turned off unless you're actually using it, and this might be a bit on the paranoid side, but I do the same for the cell radio (airplane mode) - it's on only when I'm expecting a call or making one.
At the other end of the scale, this tracking via MAC almost invites making them think several million customers have suddenly entered the store...