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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/39832
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/39832
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I would do this the same way you introduce multiple characters: slowly over time and as needed. If you give the reader too much information up front, they will not remember it. It's hard to remember a lot of details before you can even tell the characters apart. To you they're individuals with their own personalities and life stories. To the reader, they're a crowd.

So go ahead and describe some of the purchases but refer back to them in later chapters, when relevant to the character and plot. You don't even have to say who purchased what in that shop-outing chapter. Use it for the reader to know what clothing and equipment are like in your world. Wait for later chapters to connect it to specific characters.

And save some details for later too. Like maybe the shop sells the group 6 swords, 7 fighting knives, and a spear. You can show one character picking out her sword in that scene, but just summarize for the rest. In chapter 5, another character can demonstrate (show directly, not explain) why he didn't buy a sword but just goes for his perfectly balanced knife.

Ditto clothes, shoes, hats, packs, etc. Add in the detail as the story progresses and don't overwhelm your reader.

Original score: 4