I played through on King. I kinda stopped paying attention to new items in the late game, but early items were very impactful and influenced my decisions a lot. I feel like two early pears and the thing that gives you money for making peasants kinda carried me.
This is really similar to something I played a long time ago. That one had like simulated battles and stuff, whereas I feel like your main standout features of your game are
Relative simplicity. Units just contribute as a defense value, don't die in fights, and upgrades are really simple. I don't consider this bad or good.
The week loop. Things happen on a regular schedule, so you can plan somewhat. I consider this predictability good, you could maybe do some more interesting things with it. Like there's specific additional things that happen at any point in the week, but you're warned at the start of the week.
Quests and events.
Items.
I feel like the game would benefit from making the player consistently think about which items they get and which items they have, throughout the game.
Generally have items be stronger, more expensive, and fewer. Like divide the number of items someone on average gets through a playthrough by like. At least 4. Low enough that you can actually think about every item. And/or structure the way items are shown more. Like once the player has bought the item that gives +2 stone every day or something, or the item that gives you a day's harvest extra, then chances are they never need to think about that item again, so it's clutter to have items like that together with the actually interesting ones.
Rarely give the player random items, have some fanfare when you do, and have those items be usually worth the fanfare.
Don't take away completely random items. Take away specific, known ones. Or show like 4 different items and offer choices: [lose 1 of those at random and get X], [lose 2 of those at random and get Y], etc. Take away the items they've had the longest, or the ones they just got.
More opportunities to choose between items. Trade away specific items.
If you cut a lot of boring items, maybe add bundles of resources to the shop?
Also the candy feels kinda broken.