I don't think anyone's disputing the economics of it. It's more about the effects of having a culture driven by the need to accrue more wealth.
This is a market reaction to inflation, with very little to do with culture.
What would an alternate culture look like? Maybe one where companies use their profits to enrich their existing employees lives, rather than use it to expand at a rate that keeps employee quality of life at the bare minimum, and executives at a maximum. Also maybe a culture where money is reinvested in the community, so the people and place you live in is enriched, rather than use that money to spread out like a virus and stamp your chain store in the middle of communities around the world (so that you can make more chains).