Shops

The shops are an alternative for the market: you can buy resources of any race there. Instead as like with the markets, you will get your resources instantly. On the other hand, the resources are more expensive, and you cannot sell resources there (this will be available in the P2P version).

The decision is up to you: if you have a lot of money, and time is precious, then you should use the shops. If you have more time, less money, or want to sell something, it is recommended to use the markets.