Bags in shops are a ripoff

I am starting to feel like I have done something wrong if I ask for a bag when I go shopping. Where will it stop, now that supermarkets are hiding their carrier bags forcing you to ask for one, like a reformed addict taking a backward step into their habit. Last week I went to TK Maxx and they are now charging for bags, to deter customers from using carriers. Imagine going there and buying a designer handbag, a nice pair of suede boots and maybe a bargain designer coat and some pumpkin pie. Then you get to the till, hand over a credit card for a £150+ spend and being asked to pay 5p each for the bags to carry your goodies home. I am afraid I see these moves as a way of cutting costs for the shops, rather than saving the planet.