NPCs
The galaxy isn't just for us players. A handful of NPC replicants are out there too. Some have shops! Track them down to discover interesting trades and location events.
Riker
Riker is parked at SOL-3, where he's coordinating the exodus project. Travel to Earth, find him, and scan the planet to kick off the seasonal story. He's the entry point for season one. The story starts here.
He also runs a shop on the moon called Riker's Lunar Supplies. Worth a visit while you're in the system to learn about trading and pick up something unique.
Bill
Bill keeps his location secret. He moves to a new system every day after checking in on Riker. The directory will show his shop, The Skunkworks, but his location is masked.
If you want the challenge of tracking him down, drop an FTL beacon in the SOL system and check its audit log the next day. Bill should show up with his direction vector recorded (yay, maths!) - follow the beacon trail from system to system and you'll eventually catch up to him. His shop has some interesting trades.