THANK YOU so much for saying how gear unlocks. I couldn't understand why I was getting rinsed in every fight, even though I was leveling up my gear.
I admit this has been frustrating to play, but that is because I have no familiarity with the FF13 style of battles and I have no idea where the game tells you that you NEED to level up your gear to unlock the next tier at the shop. Fingers crossed I can catch up enough to where I don't have to completely restart!