I'm not sure exactly what you mean by deflationary, but in general deflation in an economy is a very bad thing. The most significant period of economic deflation in the US was 1930-1933, ie, the great depression, and the most recent period was the great recession.
And since when do business executives NOT pocket the money? Pretty much the only exception is when they reinvest the savings into the business, for more growth, but that reinvestment and growth usually is only something the rest of us care about if it involves hiring..