But there's no way to estimate the particular X in this model in the real world, and the notion that that X is the actual driver is just a bare possibility amon

But there's no way to estimate the particular X in this model in the real world, and the notion that that X is the actual driver is just a bare possibility among others, not really argued for or evidenced. If you made a model where groups have different preferences for "amenities" (nearby relatives, parks, yoga studios) that would at least represent a more plausible hypothesis. Although the parameters would still be impossible to estimate. I get what you're saying though. Broadly speaking it might be theoretically interesting to set up various quantitative models for the XYZ chain.