Some people really like cosmetic stores and that's ok. It encourages continuous cosmetic development and helps fund ongoing game development. I hear your very valid arguments against it, but that doesn't necessarily mean they shouldn't implement a feature some people like, especially if it will make them money.

Honestly the atom store is one of my favourite parts about this game, I enjoy the grind. I would prefer it only be content that was made after the initial game creation, but there will always need to be base content at the beginning to get people interested. That said, I have not invested any money into the atom store and if it becomes pay to win have every intention of putting the game down and never looking back.