Use of the phrase "a nation of shopkeepers" to describe the English (or the British) is most commonly attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte. But it's by no means certain that Napoleon ever used this phrase; if he did, he may or may not have been quoting Smith. (Napoleon was 7 years old in 1776, when The Wealth of Nations was first published.)
If you read the quote, you will notice that Smith doesn't even describe the English (or anyone else) as "a nation of shopkeepers."
Wikipedia has a comprehensive summary of the history and likely origin of the phrase.
© Haydn Thompson 2017–22