The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word DELIS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
D
E
L
I
S
More clues leading to the result DELIS
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "shops" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case shops = delis.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does DELIS mean?
DELIS noun- A shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving.
- Food sold at a delicatessen.