Shops are where you can purchase and sell items and equipment for gald. You can also use gald at shops to fuse equipment together. A shop’s rank goes up depending on the amount of gald exchanged when purchasing, selling, or fusing items. Raising a shop’s rank will result in that shop stocking more powerful equipment. Each shop’s current rank is indicated by the 5 stars displayed under the shop name in the shop menu. There are a total of 10 possible ranks, so each half-star is equal to one rank level. Your progress toward the next level is shown on the progress bar behind the stars; once that bar is filled, the shop rank will increase.
Shops and Inns use the same ranking system to denote item/dish availability. Ranking up shops will give you access to better items and equipment, while ranking up Inns will give you access to more dishes with longer lasting effects.