I find it tricky to think of ideas during beta because there are so many yet-to-be-implemented features that maybe the staff have already thought of, but what about player-run shops? Sure we have auctions, but those run on 24h timers (which is good, but doesn't really allow 'accumulation' of an inventory of wares) and your own goods can be undercut very quickly. There are a number of other limitations with auctions that could be complemented by a parallel 'shop-based' economy.
Idea: have hubs around the map that host many shops at once, like the way housing works. You need to purchase a shop lease, and there needs to be space available (probably via a quest with the Ministry). Shop sizes will vary in rent, and there is a cap to how many distinct items (full stack counts as one unique item) you can stock (from 25 to say 250?). What differs from the housing system though is that you can search for items from the hub and it will list what's stocked in the hub you're at - otherwise it'd be just too much of an inconvenience to shop here. Shop owners that neglect to pay their rent for x cycles or do not keep their shop stocked for x number of consecutive days will forfeit their lease.
Comparing with the auction system:
Shops
- instant buy, no delivery
- can stock a bunch of items at once instead of being limited by your inventory space and/or waiting for auctions to clear
- more stable than the rapid fluctuations of prices in auctions
- allows you to take fuller advantage of your crafting skills
but
- may end up paying more than at auctions
- need to actually travel to shop locations to use them
Auctions
- convenience, can buy from anywhere
- good for quick or emergency needs
- easier to determine the current market value of an item
- anyone can access and use it
but
- there's a delay between purchase and delivery
- commission fees
- more restricted in how much you can sell and how often