OK, the work around works. Here's how I did it. While in the game that you want the store, go to manage world and find a vacant house or lot but make sure it's not where you want to build the shop. Then click on it and select 'Create New Household To Move In'. Make a sim to move in and become the builder, I have a builder sim in my library so I don't have to create a new sim all the time. Once the sim is on the home lot, use the motherlode cheat to give them plenty of money to build and stock the store. When they have enough money, use the phone to buy a retail store and purchase the lot where you want the store to be. have them build, decorate and stock the store how you want it. Mark all the things you want for sale and open the store. I'm not sure if you do have to open the store, but I did just for fun. I had some customers come, but before anyone bought anything, I closed the shop. Then I went to the register and clicked on sell store. When you do this, your sim will be just stanting in the store, but you wont be able to interact with anything. Go home (or maybe just another lot - I didn't try that) and then travel to the store again. Once you get there, you will see a sales clerk and other customers. You can then go and buy anything that you had previously marked as 'for sale'. The empty shelves will be restocked once you leave the lot, so you can go back again later and buy the samr things you bought earlier.
Now you can switch households back to the real game family and they too can visit the store and shop.
