A lvl 5 character who gets a owns a shop next to the bank inside a settlement and stocks it with a few no-value loot items is a Bad Thing. The same way as it’s a Bad Thing if a solo character who never speaks to anyone winds up with a guild hall, etc.
Then you go to the settlment leader and talk to them about the shop, then they (or their underlings) go to the shop owner and release the shop.
Look, I'm not going to say that there arn't issues with the lottery shop system, there certainly are and some of the points brought up here are very valid, and worth considering!
But I'm going to say this whole: 'this system enables n00bs to own shops and is bad because of this or 'this means that some shops arn't exploited to their full potential and so its is terrible.' is a bad take on the situation.
Like, don't get me wrong - at the very extremes of this (a shop literally empty for months on end) I agree. But, like, you guys do get that this game is uh... a game right? It's fun?
If someone wants to own a shop for a bit of fun, and find it doesn't work out well, oh well? A shop isn't being used to it's best potential for a bit but why is that such an awful thing?
If you're an experienced shop keeper and player, you don't need the best placed shop. Sure you need to advertise more maybe, but you can still earn a good amount of gold.
Good shops do still come up for sale, you just need to be watchful for them. It takes time and energy and effort and, I won't lie, no small amount of luck but it does happen.
There are some shops that arn't in the bidding system too, some of themm in great places. Look for those, talk to thier owners, see what you can do there!
And best of all, where as before the best placed shops might end up going in this revolving door of owners, each passing it from one to the other, with folk not in the ic (or worse still ooc loop) missing out - now everyone gets a chance. Isn't that good?
Again - I'm not saying that the new system doesn't have it's issues. In fact some good ones have been brought up prior to this - but honestly I've noticed no difference in stocking quality from now, to when the system was implemented. If anything I think it's slightly improved. And I think the argument of 'it lets people who arn't 'serious' own shops, people who are only playing for (ick!) fun! This is Wrong!' Is well, really rather eleetist, don't you think?
This too shall pass.
(I now have a DM Discord (I hope) It's DM GrumpyCat#7185 but please keep in mind I'm very busy IRL so I can't promise how quick I'll get back to you.)