deleting all app store apps is too high a barrier, because there may not be a replacement that could be sideloaded.
1: Still basically required if you have young children and want things like play dates. Oh Signal? Yeah, the recent push means that some tech-savvy users now have both Whatsapp and Signal installed. In the Netherlands, you can do without Whatsapp, but not if you don't want to turn your child into a social recluse.
2: For example, in order to use Germany's Deutschlandticket one of the participating public transport companies apps is required. This is a huge regression compared to the initial paper ticket, but there it is.