BuddyPress.org

Yes, I think a blurb of some sort by the new items would make sense. Even just a “Start Shopping – Click on The Newest Products Below” would help. I’d also move the “New In the Shops” image to the left of the new items. I think that will help people understand the images at the new in the shops.

I’d also add a section below the newest items and above the “Happening at RC” which says something like: Start a Shop. Next to that you could have some bullet points about why they should start a shop:
-Social Shopping
-Free Shop
-Etc etc etc
You might even want to make this conditional for only those that aren’t logged in. If they’re logged in, maybe that could be a list of functions that shop owners can do:
-Add a Product
-Promote Your Shop
-etc etc etc

I hope this helps.