Shoplifting: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:24, 18 December 2006

Latest revision as of 05:25, 15 August 2025

Line 1:

{{Short description|Theft of goods from a retail establishment}}

{{for|the album released by [[Straw (band)|Straw]]|Shoplifting (album)}}

{{About|the crime|other uses|Shoplifting (disambiguation)}}

{{globalize}}

{{Redirect|Five finger discount|the episode|Five Finger Discount (That's So Raven episode){{!}}Five Finger Discount (''That's So Raven'' episode)}}

{{tone}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}

[[File:USMC shoplifting.jpg|thumb|A person in a store slipping an item into his pocket]]

[[File:Shoplifting sign cuffs1.jpg|thumb|Notice warning shoplifters of potentially being arrested in [[Subang Parade]], Malaysia]]

'''Shoplifting''' (also known as '''shop theft''', '''shop fraud''', '''retail theft''', or '''retail fraud''') is the theft of [[goods]] from a [[retail]] establishment during business hours. The terms ''shoplifting'' and ''shoplifter'' are not usually defined in law, and generally fall under [[larceny]]. In the retail industry, the word ''[[Shrinkage (accounting)|shrinkage]]'' (or ''shrink'') is used to refer to merchandise often lost by shoplifting. {{Anchor|five-finger discount|five finger discount}} The term '''''five-finger discount''''' is a [[euphemism]] for shoplifting, humorously referencing stolen items taken "at no cost" with the five fingers.

'''Shoplifting''' (also known as '''retail theft''') is [[theft]] of merchandise for sale in a shop, store, or other [[retail]] establishment, by an ostensible patron. It is one of the most common [[crime]]s for [[police]] and [[court]]s.

The first documented shoplifting started to take place in 16th century [[London]]. By the early 19th century, shoplifting was believed to be primarily a female activity. In the 1960s, shoplifting began to be redefined again, this time as a political act. Researchers divide shoplifters into two categories: boosters (professionals who resell what they steal), and snitches (amateurs who steal for their personal use).<ref name="Cameron 1964">{{cite book|last=Cameron|first=Mary Owen|title=The Booster and the Snitch: Department Store Shoplifting|year=1964|publisher=Free Press of Glencoe|___location=Glencoe, Illinois|asin=B002NGZUJU }}</ref> Shoplifters range from amateurs acting on impulse to career criminals who habitually engage in shoplifting as a form of income. Career criminals may use several individuals to shoplift, with some participants distracting store employees while another participant steals items. Amateurs typically steal products for personal use, while career criminals generally steal items to resell them on the [[black market]]. Other forms of shoplifting include swapping price labels of different items, [[return fraud]], or consuming food and drink at a [[grocery store]] without paying for it. Commonly shoplifted items are those with a high price in proportion to their size, such as disposable razor blades, electronic devices, vitamins, alcoholic beverages, and cigarettes.

Most shoplifters are amateurs; however, there are people and groups who make their living from shoplifting, and they tend to be more skilled. Some individuals shoplift in an effort to resist selling their labor, and/or to protest corporate power. These individuals target --often exclusively-- chain stores; [[Wal-Mart]] is an especially popular target for political shoplifters. (see ''[[Evasion (book)|Evasion]]'')

Stores use a number of strategies to reduce shoplifting, including storing small, expensive items in locked glass cases; chaining or otherwise attaching items (particularly expensive ones) to shelves or clothes racks; attaching [[Electronic article surveillance|magnetic or radio sensors]] or dyepacks to items; installing curved mirrors mounted above shelves or [[CCTV|video cameras and video monitors]], hiring plainclothes [[store detective]]s and [[security guard]]s, and banning the bringing in of backpacks or other bags. Large stores may offer storage of bags at a customer service desk in the front, with the customer handed a number tag or other identifier to be given back in exchange for their bag when they leave the store. Some stores have security guards at the exit, who search backpacks and bags and check receipts. Stores also combat shoplifting by training employees how to detect potential shoplifters.

A common [[slang]] term for shoplifting in Australia and the United States is "five-finger discount". In the U.S., it is often referred to as "jacking" or "racking" and in the UK as "nicking or chaving". Professional shoplifters or organized shoplifting groups are often referred to as "boosters."

==Definition==

==Economic impact and response from shops==

Shoplifting is the act of knowingly taking goods from an establishment in which they are displayed for sale, without paying for them. Shoplifting usually involves concealing items on the person or an accomplice, and leaving the store without paying. However, shoplifting can also include price switching (swapping the price labels of different goods), [[refund fraud]], and "grazing" (eating or sampling a store's goods while in the store). Price switching is now an almost extinct form of shoplifting for two reasons. First, the labels will split apart upon attempted removal, and second, virtually all retail cashiers now scan items at the register, rather than relying on price stickers. Retailers report that shoplifting has a significant effect on their bottom line, stating that about 0.6% of all inventory disappears to shoplifters.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}

Retailers report that shoplifting has significant effect on their bottom line, stating that about 0.6% of all inventory disappears to shoplifters. In [[2001]] it was claimed that shoplifting costs US retailers $25 million a day. Other observers, however, believe industry shoplifting numbers to be greatly exaggerated. Studies have found that over half of what is reported as shoplifting is either [[shrinkage|employee theft or fraud]].

Generally, criminal theft involves taking possession of property illegally. In self-service shops, customers are allowed by the property owner to take physical possession of the property by holding or moving it. This leaves areas of ambiguity that could criminalize some people for simple mistakes, such as accidentally putting a small item in a pocket or forgetting to pay. For this reason penalties for shoplifting are often lower than those for general theft. Few jurisdictions have specific shoplifting legislation with which to differentiate it from other forms of theft, so reduced penalties are usually at a judge's discretion. Most retailers are aware of the serious consequences of making a [[false arrest]], and will only attempt to apprehend a person if their guilt is beyond a reasonable doubt. Depending on local laws, arrests made by anyone other than law enforcement officers may also be illegal.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}

According to the 2001 National Retail Security Survey conducted by the University of Florida retail operations suffered an average annual shrinkage percentage of 1.75% in 2000. Although most retailers experience a shrinkage percentage of less than 2% some smaller retailers often experience monthly and annual average shrinkage percentages as high as 20%. According a study by the National Retail Security Survey 30.6% of shrinkage comes from shoplifting, 46% from employee embezzlement, 17.6% from administrative error, and 5.8% from vendor fraud.

In England and Wales, theft is defined as "dishonestly appropriate[ing] property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it; and "thief" and "steal" shall be construed accordingly."<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/60/crossheading/definition-of-theft|title = Theft Act 1968|access-date = 2014-09-15|website = Theft Act 1968|publisher = Legislation.gov.uk}}</ref> It is one of the most common crimes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Shoplifting on the increase as overall crime figures fall|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/25/shoplifting-increase-overall-crime-figures-fall-england-wales|access-date=7 March 2015|work=The Guardian|date=25 April 2014}}</ref> Shoplifting peaks between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m., and is lowest from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bamfield|first=Joshua A. N. (Centre for Retail Research)|title=Shopping and crime (Crime Prevention and Security Management)|year=2012|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|___location=Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire|isbn=978-0-230-52160-5|page=67}}</ref> In the United States, shoplifting increases during the [[Christmas]] season, and arrest rates increase during [[spring break]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Hagan|first=Frank E.|title=Crime types and criminals|year=2010|publisher=Sage Publications|___location=Thousand Oaks, Calif.|isbn=978-1-4129-6479-1|page=151}}</ref> [[Rutgers University]] [[criminologist]] [[Ronald V. Clarke]] says shoplifters steal "hot products" that are "CRAVED", an acronym he created that stands for "concealable, removable, available, valuable, enjoyable, and disposable".<ref>{{cite book|last=Shteir|first=Rachel|title=The steal: a cultural history of shoplifting|year=2011|publisher=Penguin Press|___location=New York|isbn=978-1-59420-297-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/93 93]|url=https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/93}}</ref>

Companies have introduced many technologies to combat shoplifting. Many stores have video cameras filming all areas of the store; larger stores are often patrolled by [[loss prevention|undercover investigators]]. [[Electronic article surveillance|Security devices]] are often affixed to products that set off alarms at the store exit if they are not deactivated or removed by a cashier.

== History ==

According to the 2004 17th Annual Retail Theft survey conducted by Jack L. Hayes International 689,340 shoplifters were apprehended by 27 of the major U.S. retailers. This figure was a 4.86% increase from total of 657,414 shoplifters apprehended in 2003. In 2004 $70,039,564 dollars were recovered from shoplifting apprehensions compared to $68,927,833 in 2003. In 2004 the average dollar value for a shoplifting apprehension was $101.60 dollars.

Shoplifting, originally called "lifting", is as old as shopping. The first documented shoplifting started to take place in 16th-century [[London]], and was carried out by groups of men called lifters. In 1591, [[playwright]] [[Robert Greene (dramatist)|Robert Greene]] published a [[pamphlet]] titled ''The Second Part of [[Coney-catching|Cony Catching]]'', in which he described how three men could conspire to shoplift clothes and fabric from London merchants. When it was first documented, shoplifting was characterized as an [[Criminal underworld|underworld]] practice: shoplifters were also [[con artist]]s, [[Pickpocketing|pickpockets]], [[pimp]]s, or [[Prostitution|prostitutes]].<ref name="shteir16">{{cite book|last=Shteir|first=Rachel|title=The steal: a cultural history of shoplifting|year=2011|publisher=Penguin Press|___location=New York|isbn=978-1-59420-297-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/16 16–17]|url=https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ecenbarger|first=William|title=The High Cost of Shoplifting|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IDYEAAAAMBAJ&q=shoplifting+history&pg=PA24|access-date=August 12, 2012|newspaper=The Rotarian|date=June 1988}}</ref>

In the late 17th century, London shopkeepers began to display goods in ways designed to attract shoppers, such as in window displays and glass cases. This made the goods more accessible for shoppers to handle and examine, which historians say led to an acceleration of shoplifting.<ref>{{cite book|last=Beattie|first=J.M.|title=Crime and Inequality|year=1995|publisher=Stanford University Press|___location=Palo Alto|page=127}}</ref>

==Legal status in different countries==

===Canada===

The word shoplift (then, shop-lift) first appeared at the end of the 17th century in books like ''The Ladies Dictionary'', which, as well as describing shoplifting, provided tips on losing weight and styling hair.<ref>{{cite book|last=Considine|first=N.H.; introduced by John|title=The ladies dictionary (1694)|year=2010|publisher=Ashgate|___location=Farnham, Surrey, England|isbn=978-0-7546-5144-4|page=579|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GfQ_TquTZicC&q=pretend|edition=Facsimile|author2=Brown, Sylvia}}</ref> Female shoplifters of this period were also called "Amazons" or "roaring girl". Notorious female shoplifters in London included [[Mary Frith]], the pickpocket and [[Fence (criminal)|fence]] also known as [[Moll Cutpurse]], pickpocket [[Moll King (criminal)|Moll King]], Sarah McCabe whose shoplifting career spanned twenty years, and Maria Carlston (also known as Mary Blacke), whose life was documented by diarist [[Samuel Pepys]], who was eventually executed for theft, and who for years shoplifted clothing and household linens in London with one or more female accomplices.<ref name="kietzman212"/><ref name="shteir16"/>

There is no specific offence of "shoplifting" under Canadian law. Instead, shoplifting is covered under the general provisions of the [[Criminal Code of Canada]] that deal with theft. According to section 322 of the Code theft is defined as taking or converting anything fraudulently and without colour of right, with the intent to deprive the owner of it, either permanently or temporarily. For punishment purposes, section 334 of the Code then categorizes theft according to the value and nature of the goods that are stolen. If the goods are worth less than $5000 the maximum possible punishment is 2 years imprisonment and/or $2000.00 in fines, while if the stolen goods are worth $5000 or more, or are a testamentary instrument, the crime may be punished by imprisonment for up to 10 years.

In 1699, the [[Parliament of England|English Parliament]] passed The Shoplifting Act, part of the [[Bloody Code]] that punished petty crimes with death. People convicted of shoplifting items worth more than five [[Shilling (English coin)|shillings]] would be [[Hanging|hanged]] in London's [[Tyburn Tree]] (known as the "[[Tyburn jig]]") with crowds of thousands watching, or would be [[Penal transportation|transported]] to the [[British colonization of the Americas|North American colonies]] or to [[Botany Bay]] in Australia. Some merchants found The Shoplifting Act overly severe, jurors often deliberately under-valued the cost of items stolen so convicted shoplifters would escape death, and reformist lawyers advocated for the Act's repeal, but The Shoplifting Act was supported by powerful people such as [[Lord Ellenborough]], who characterized penal transportation as "a summer airing to a milder climate" and the [[archbishop of Canterbury]], who believed that strong punishment was necessary to prevent a dramatic increase in crime. As England began to embrace [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] ideas about [[crime]] and [[punishment]] in the 18th century, opposition to the Bloody Code began to grow. The last English execution for shoplifting was carried out in 1822, and in 1832 the [[House of Lords]] reclassified shoplifting as a non-capital crime.<ref>{{cite book|last=Shteir|first=Rachel|title=The steal: a cultural history of shoplifting|year=2011|publisher=Penguin Press|___location=New York|isbn=978-1-59420-297-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/18 18–34]|url=https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/18}}</ref>

===United States===

In most states in the United States, shoplifting is a [[misdemeanor]] [[crime]] of petty [[larceny]] when specifically committed against a retail establishment by a patron. Some states do not distinguish between shoplifting and other forms of petty larceny, although a judge may consider the context of any crime in [[sentencing]].

By the early 19th century, shoplifting was believed to be primarily a female activity,<ref name="Segrave 2001 7">{{cite book|last=Segrave|first=Kerry|title=Shoplifting: a social history|year=2001|publisher=McFarland|___location=Jefferson, NC [u.a.]|isbn=978-0-7864-0908-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/shoplifting00kerr/page/7 7]|url=https://archive.org/details/shoplifting00kerr/page/7}}</ref> and doctors began to redefine some shoplifting as what [[Swiss people|Swiss]] doctor André Matthey had then newly christened "klopemania" ([[kleptomania]]), from the Greek words "''kleptein''" (stealing) and "''mania''" (insanity). Kleptomania was primarily attributed to wealthy and middle-class women, and in 1896 was criticized by [[anarchist]] [[Emma Goldman]] as a way for the rich to excuse their own class from punishment, while continuing to punish the poor for the same acts.<ref>{{cite book|last=Shteir|first=Rachel|title=The steal: a cultural history of shoplifting|year=2011|publisher=Penguin Press|___location=New York|isbn=978-1-59420-297-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/30 30–45]|url=https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/30}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Abelson|first=Elaine S.|title=When ladies go a-thieving: middle-class shoplifters in the Victorian department store|year=1992|publisher=Oxford University Press|___location=New York|isbn=978-0-19-507142-9|page=7|edition=[Online-Ausg.].}}</ref>

In some jurisdictions within the United States, certain egregious instances of shoplifting involving large dollar amounts of merchandise and/or a high degree of criminal sophistication may be prosecuted and punished as [[burglary]] or otherwise as a [[felony]]. The dollar amount to constitute felony shoplifting can range from be quite low such as $100 in Vermont, to quite high such as $2,500 in [[Wisconsin]]. In some states a high dollar amount can constitute a higher felony, a prime example being Arizona where a shoplifting incident greater than $2,000 constitutes a class five felony. Indiana is the only state in the country where an act of shoplifting is considered a felony regardless of dollar value.

In the 1960s, shoplifting began to be redefined again, this time as a political act. In his 1970 book ''Do It: Scenarios of the Revolution'', American activist [[Jerry Rubin]] wrote "All money represents theft...shoplifting gets you high. Don't buy. Steal," and in ''[[The Anarchist Cookbook]]'', published in 1971, American author William Powell offered tips for how to shoplift. In his 1971 book ''[[Steal This Book]]'', American activist [[Abbie Hoffman]] offered tips on how to shoplift and argued that shoplifting is anti-corporate. In her book ''The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting'', social historian Rachel Shteir described how shoplifting from companies disliked by individuals is considered by some activist groups, such as some [[Freeganism|freegans]], decentralized anarchist collective [[CrimethInc]], the Spanish anarchist collective [[Yomango]] and the Canadian magazine [[Adbusters]], to be a morally defensible act of corporate sabotage.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kurshan|first=Jerry Rubin; introduction by Eldridge Cleaver; designed by Quentin Fiore; yipped by Jim Retherford; zapped by Nancy|title=Do it: Scenarios of the Revolution|year=1970|publisher=Ballantine books|___location=New York|isbn=978-0-671-20601-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yasoAAAAYAAJ&q=do+it+scenarios}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Bergman|first=William Powell. With a prefatory note on anarchism today by P. M.|title=The anarchist cookbook|year=2002|publisher=Ozark Press|___location=El Dorado, Ariz.|isbn=978-0-9623032-0-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Shteir|first=Rachel|title=The steal: a cultural history of shoplifting|year=2011|publisher=Penguin Press|___location=New York|isbn=978-1-59420-297-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/52 52–62]|url=https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/52}}</ref>

Shoplifting can lead to far more serious charges than normally would be assumed. In most states an employee who shoplifts from their employer can be charged with shoplifting and embezzlement. In [[Arizona]] a shoplifter who is caught attempting to steal without any means of payment is guilty of third degree burglary. In Illinois a shoplifter who resists detainment is guilty of aggravated battery. In some U.S. jurisdictions, a repeat misdemeanor shoplifting offender can be charged with a felony for [[recidivism]].

==Common targets==

Exactly when the crime of shoplifting has been committed varies from state to state. Most commonly, statutes dictate that a person must leave a retail store with intent not to purchase an item before they can be detained. Some states such as Arizona have more strict shoplifting statutes. According to Arizona law 13-1805 subsection B "Any person who knowingly conceals upon himself or another person unpurchased merchandise of a mercantile establishment while within the mercantile establishment shall be presumed to have the necessary culpable mental state pursuant to subsection A of this section."

Commonly shoplifted items are usually small and easy to hide, such as [[Supermarket|groceries]], especially [[steak]] and [[instant coffee]], [[Safety razor#Disposable cartridge razors|razor blades and cartridges]], small technology items such as [[Electronic cigarette|vapes]], [[smartphone]]s, [[USB flash drive]]s, [[earphones]], [[gift card]]s, [[cosmetics]], [[jewelry]], [[multivitamin]]s, [[Pregnancy test#Modern tests|pregnancy tests]], [[electric toothbrush]]es, and [[clothing]]. The most commonly shoplifted item used to be [[cigarettes]] until stores started keeping them behind the cash register.<ref name="levinson1508"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Bamfield|first=Joshua A. N. (Centre for Retail Research)|title=Shopping and crime (Crime Prevention and Security Management)|year=2012|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|___location=Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire|isbn=978-0-230-52160-5|pages=81–84}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Shteir|first=Rachel|title=The steal: a cultural history of shoplifting|year=2011|publisher=Penguin Press|___location=New York|isbn=978-1-59420-297-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/94 94]|url=https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/94}}</ref>

==Methods==

Some recidivist shoplifters in the United States have been given long sentences under [[three-strikes law]]s, such as [[Leandro Andrade]], who received a sentence of 50 years to life; such sentences have been affirmed as neither cruel nor unusual punishment by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]]. See also ''[[Fixing Broken Windows]]'' for an explanation of the theory underlying such laws.

===Concealing===

Shoplifters may conceal items in their pockets, under their clothes, in bags, or in a personal item they are carrying (for example, a box) or pushing (for example, a stroller) or, if at a shopping center/mall, a bag from another store in that center. The use of backpacks and other bags to shoplift has led some stores to not allow people with backpacks in the store, often by asking the person to leave their backpack at a store counter.{{Citation needed|date=April 2018}} With clothes, shoplifters may put on the store clothing underneath their own clothes and leave the store.

===United KingdomWalkout/pushout===

Some shoppers fill a shopping cart with unconcealed merchandise, and walk out of the store without paying. Security workers call that method "walkout" or "pushout".<ref>{{cite book | last = Bamfield | first = Joshua | title = Shopping and crime | publisher = Palgrave Macmillan | ___location = Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire New York, NY | year = 2012 | isbn = 978-0230393554 }}</ref> With clothing, some shoplifters may simply put on a coat or jacket from the store and walk out wearing the item. This tactic is used because busy employees may simply not notice a person pushing a cart out without paying or walking out wearing a store-owned coat. Some "pushout" shoplifters purposefully exit quickly to avoid detection, as this gives employees less time to react.

There is no specific offence of shoplifting in the [[UK]] and

offenders are usually charged with the offence of [[theft]] but are liable to be made subject to orders for restitution and compensation by the criminal courts.

Many stores instruct employees other than those directly involved in theft prevention or security to confront someone only verbally to avoid any possibility of being held liable for injury or unwarranted detention. While that may allow stolen goods to not be recovered, the loss of revenue may be judged to be acceptable in light of the cost of a potential lawsuit or an employee being injured by a fleeing shoplifter.

Increasingly, retail companies are using the civil courts as a means of recovering compensation and obtaining exclusion orders where appropriate. In addition, companies are issuing exclusion letters to offenders and those they suspect, as a means of attempting to encourage the police to charge those arrested for theft with [[burglary]] on the basis that they are trespassers. This remains a controversial issue and, generally, the police are reluctant to charge with the more serious offence.

==Offenders==

==Common shoplifting scams==

Offenders can be broken into two general categories, individuals who shoplift for personal gain, and professionals who shoplift for purposes of resale.<ref name="Cameron 1964"/>

{{unreferenced|date=October 2006}}

==="Accidental" stealing===

"Accidental" stealing is when a thief takes their place in the queue with the items they intend to steal, and pay for only one of those items while holding what they want to steal in full view to cause confusion (or place said items into their pockets) but avoid suspicion due to their apparent intention of payment. In the unlikely event of being caught, the [[thief]] could simply pass off the attempt at stealing as accidental. Also referred to as "left handing," a reference to the stolen item being held in the left hand while payment is made with the right.

===Baby stroller boxesIndividuals===

Some shoplifters are [[amateur]]s who do not steal regularly from stores and who do not use shoplifting as a form of income (e.g., by reselling stolen goods). Researchers call these amateurs "snitches," as they are stealing items for their personal use.<ref name="Cameron 1964"/> In several countries, criminal [[flash mob]]s, primarily made up of teenagers and young adults, enter stores with the intention of stealing merchandise while accomplices distract staff.<ref>{{cite web|last=Leary|first=Mark|title=Why People Take Part in Violent Flash Mobs|date=August 19, 2011 |url=http://today.duke.edu/2011/08/tip-flash-mobs|publisher=Duke University News and Communications|access-date=March 31, 2013}}</ref>

This scam involves the use of baby [[stroller]] boxes, which tend to be quite large in size. A would-be shoplifter removes the stroller from the box and proceeds to conceal a large amount of merchandise inside. The would-be shoplifter then reseals the box and takes it to a checkout aisle, where they pay the purchase price for the stroller. If the scam is successful the would-be shoplifter walks out of the retailer with concealed merchandise still inside the stroller box.

===Professionals and criminal organizations===

===Bag switching===

{{See also|Organized retail crime}}

Bag switching methods are generally attempted by a group of two shoplifters. Typically the first shoplifter will have a large bag and gather a large amount of merchandise quickly to get the attention of a [[Loss Prevention Investigator]]. Once the first shoplifter knows that they are being followed they will conceal the merchandise into the bag. The first shoplifter will then switch their bag with the second shoplifter, who usually has a matching bag that is already filled with items that don’t belong to the retailer. Often the Loss Prevention Investigator will miss the switch and arrest the first shoplifter. Subsequently, the first shoplifter may claim false arrest and receive a gift card from the retailer.

Some people and groups make their living from shoplifting. They tend to be more skilled [[career criminal]]s who use more sophisticated shoplifting tactics. Some researchers call professional thieves "boosters," as they tend to resell what they steal<ref name="Cameron 1964"/> on the [[black market]].

===Booster boxes (bag)===

A booster box is a device that allows a would be shoplifter to conceal a large quantity of merchandise on their person. These boxes are lined with metal or some other substance to prevent security tags from setting off the security gates at the exit. Typically professional shoplifters of large girth most commonly attempt this scam. The use of booster boxes is most prevalent at clothing retailers due to the fact that clothing merchandise can easily be molded to fit better inside the box. Some professional shoplifters have been known in the past to attempt to use booster boxes to conceal [[electronics]] and [[DVD]]s.

Regional gangs and international crime organizations may create and coordinate shoplifting rings. These rings may involve multiple shoplifters, diversions, and the complicity of employees in a targeted business. Some shoplifting rings focus on stealing items included on lists provided by the criminal leaders.<ref>{{Citation

===Cash drawer theft===

| last =Johnston

Cash drawer theft is usually attempted by a shoplifter purchasing a low [[dollar]] item and giving the [[cashier]] a large bill or by asking a cashier to change a large bill. As the cashier is counting change the item the shoplifter will attempt to create a distraction. One such is telling the cashier that the cashier is giving the shoplifter the wrong amount of change. Once the cashier looks down to recount the change the shoplifter will reach into the cash drawer and grab what they can. The cashier then hands the shoplifter back the change and shoplifter leaves the store. Usually cash drawer theft is not detected until audits of the register are completed and show a shortage. To combat cash drawer theft many retailers will not accept bills larger than twenty dollars or will not give out change at the register.

| first =D

| title = 2023 Retail Security Survey, The state of national (USA) retail security and organized retail crime

|date = 2023

| publisher = National Retail Federation, USA

| url= https://cdn.nrf.com/sites/default/files/2023-09/NRF_National_Retail_Security_Survey_2023.pdf

| access-date =11 October 2023

}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Organised Crime & Gangs |url=https://www.nationalretail.org.au/policy-advocacy/safe-retail/organised-crime-gangs/ |website=National Retail Association |access-date=9 November 2023 |___location=Australia}}</ref> Some organized theft groups engage in labor trafficking, smuggling undocumented individuals into a country and then requiring them to steal in order to pay off fees and debts associated with their being smuggled across the border.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Korh |first1=Lauren |last2=Polyak |first2=Tiffany |title=Detecting and Reporting the Illicit Financial Flows Tied to Organized Theft Groups (OTG) and Organized Retail Crime (ORC) |url=https://www.acams.org/en/media/document/29436 |website=ACAMS |publisher=ACAMS and Homeland Security Investigations |access-date=13 November 2023 |page=11 |format=pdf |date=2022}}</ref>

==Motivation==

===Counterfeit bill passing===

[[Motivation]]s for shoplifting are controversial among researchers, although they generally agree that shoplifters are driven by either [[Personal finance|economic]] or [[psychosocial]] motives. Psychosocial motivations may include [[peer pressure]], a desire for thrill or excitement, impulse, stealing because judgment is clouded by [[Substance intoxication|intoxication]], or doing so because of a [[compulsive behavior|compulsion]].<ref name="levinson1508"/> Depression is the psychiatric disorder most commonly associated with shoplifting. Shoplifting is also associated with family or marital stress, social isolation, having had a difficult childhood, alcoholism or drug use, low self-esteem, and [[eating disorder]]s, with bulimic shoplifters frequently stealing food. Some researchers have theorized that shoplifting is an unconscious attempt to make up for a past loss.<ref name="shopliftingprevention1">{{cite web|title=Psychological Studies on Shoplifting and Kleptomania|url=http://www.shopliftingprevention.org/whatnaspoffers/nrc/psychologicalstudies.htm|publisher=National Association for Shoplifting Prevention: Psychological Studies on Shoplifting and Kleptomania|access-date=August 18, 2012|archive-date=September 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910181951/http://www.shopliftingprevention.org/WhatNASPOffers/NRC/PsychologicalStudies.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Although the act of [[counterfeiting]] [[currency]] is a far more serious crime than the act of shoplifting, counterfeiters often use retail outlets to launder their fake bills and in effect are stealing merchandise at the same time. Typically, a counterfeiter will use a large denomination bill, like a fifty or a hundred, to purchase a low priced item. If the currency is accepted, the counterfeiter successfully launders the fake bill and leaves with the merchandise and legal currency as change. Most retailers require their cashiers to verify large bills with a counterfeit detection pen. However, due to poor training or when faced with long lines of customers this procedure is often disregarded.

Researchers have found that the decision to shoplift is associated with pro-shoplifting attitudes, social factors, opportunities for shoplifting and the perception that the shoplifter is unlikely to be caught. Researchers say that shoplifters justify their shoplifting through a variety of personal narratives, such as believing they are making up for having been victimized, that they are unfairly being denied things they deserve, or that the retailers they steal from are untrustworthy or immoral.<ref name="shopliftingprevention1"/> Sociologists call these narratives [[Neutralisation (sociology)|neutralizations]], meaning mechanisms people use to silence values within themselves that would otherwise prevent them from carrying out a particular act.

===Double cart===

Two shoplifters are usually involved with this scam. They fill two [[cart]]s with goods and approach the checkout. They load the checkout with the high value goods first. The cashier scans the items and removes the security tags. One of the shoplifters bags the items and places them back into the now empty first trolley. As the second trolley is being scanned the first shoplifter leaves with the first trolley while the second shoplifter stays at the checkout. The remaining goods are scanned and the cashier awaits payment. The second shoplifter puts on an act of a forgotten [[wallet]]. This gives the first shoplifter time to load the goods into a vehicle. The second shoplifter then makes an excuse to go and get her wallet, and leaves the remaining goods at the checkout. She then leaves the store and they escape with the high value goods.

[[Developmental psychology|Developmental psychologists]] believe that children under the age of nine shoplift to test boundaries, and that tweens and teenagers shoplift mainly for excitement or the thrill, are "acting out" (or depressed), or are being pressured by their peers.<ref name="shteir82"/>

===Fake returns===

Sometimes shoplifters will actually gather an item from the selling floor and try to receive money for it without a [[receipt]] at the return station. Although this method is not as fool proof as the receipt matching method, it is very effective particularly when done to an inexperienced cashier. Usually the shoplifter will start complaining to the cashier about their inability to return the merchandise. Typically the shoplifter will state that they lost their receipt or threaten the cashier by stating that they want to talk to their supervisor. To avoid confrontation the cashier will ring up the return and give the shoplifter the value of the merchandise. (See [[refund theft]].)

==Economics==

===Fitting room bagging===

Economists say shoplifting is common because it is a relatively unskilled crime with low entry barriers that can be fitted into a normal lifestyle. People of every [[nation]], [[Race (human classification)|race]], [[ethnicity]], [[gender]] and [[social class]] shoplift. Originally, analysis of data about apprehended shoplifters and interviews with [[store detective]]s suggested that females were almost twice as likely as males to shoplift. However, since 1980, the data suggest that males are equally or more likely to shoplift than females. The average shoplifter first did it at the age of ten: shoplifting tends to peak in [[adolescence]] then steadily declines thereafter. People of all races shoplift equally, and poor people shoplift only slightly more than rich people.<ref name="levinson1508">{{cite book|editor-last=Levinson|editor-first=David|title=Encyclopedia of crime and punishment|year=2002|publisher=SAGE|___location=London|isbn=978-0-7619-2258-2|pages=1508–1511|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z3kU3xJ2qWQC&q=shoplifting+history&pg=PA1508}}</ref> Men tend to shoplift using bags, and women using strollers.<ref name="kietzman212">{{cite book|last=Kietzman|first=Mary Jo|title=The self-fashioning of an early modern Englishwoman: Mary Carleton's lives|year=2004|publisher=Ashgate|___location=Aldershot|isbn=978-0-7546-0859-2|page=212}}</ref><ref name="shteir82">{{cite book|last=Shteir|first=Rachel|title=The steal: a cultural history of shoplifting|year=2011|publisher=Penguin Press|___location=New York|isbn=978-1-59420-297-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/82 82]|url=https://archive.org/details/stealculturalhis0000shte/page/82}}</ref> When caught, a shoplifter has on average $200 worth of unpaid merchandise.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hagan|first=Frank E.|title=Crime types and criminals|year=2010|publisher=Sage Publications|___location=Thousand Oaks, Calif.|isbn=978-1-4129-6479-1|page=150}}</ref>

Typically this scam is seen in large clothing retailers. This scam generally preys upon the common Loss Prevention policy prohibiting apprehension of shoplifters when concealment is not actually seen by an investigator. A would be shoplifter enters a retail establishment with a large bag. The would-be shoplifter then selects a large amount of merchandise and takes it to a fitting room. Once inside, the would-be shoplifter conceals the merchandise into the bag out of sight of store employees and store investigators.

=== Economic impact ===

This technique is very effective due to the fact that most department stores do not supervise the dressing room (checking the amount of clothes before and after using a dressing room). Also it more or less traditional to leave clothes in the dressing room that you don't wish to purchase (in which store employees will later remove and restock), so if you are seen entering a dressing room with clothing but are exiting with none then it can be assumed you left the products behind.

According to a report from [[Tyco Integrated Security|Tyco Retail Solutions]], the global retail industry lost an estimated $34 billion in sales in 2017 to shoplifting, which is approximately 2 percent of total revenue. Shoplifting is the largest single reason for loss of merchandise.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Du |first1=Lisa |last2=Maki |first2=Ayaka |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-04/the-ai-cameras-that-can-spot-shoplifters-even-before-they-steal |title=These Cameras Can Spot Shoplifters Even Before They Steal |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=2019-03-04 |access-date=2019-03-06 }}</ref>

Retailers report that shoplifting has a significant effect on their bottom line, stating that about 0.6% of all inventory disappears to shoplifters. According to the 2012 National Retail Security Survey, shoplifting costs American retailers approximately $14B annually.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140714203225/http://soccrim.clas.ufl.edu/2014/02/20/2012-national-retail-security-survey-has-been-released/ 2012 National Retail Security Survey]</ref> In 2001, it was claimed that shoplifting cost US retailers $25 million a day. Observers believe that industry shoplifting numbers are over half employee theft or fraud and the rest by patrons. Of course, if apprehended during the shoplifting the merchandise is generally recovered by the retailers and there is often no loss to the store owner when the merchandise is surrendered to the store by the suspects. In addition, in many states retailers have the right to recover civil damages to cover the cost of providing security.

===Gift card cloning===

In this scam, a normal store [[gift card]] with no value attached is stolen from a store. The shoplifter then clones the [[magnetic strip]] on the back of the gift card and makes a copy or copies of it. The original gift card is then returned to the store by the shoplifter. The gift card is activated once purchased by another customer, and the dollar amount applied to the legitimate gift card is passed to all the cloned gift cards.

According to a December 23, 2008, article in the ''[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]'', Dimperio's Market, the only full-service grocery store in the [[Hazelwood (Pittsburgh)|Hazelwood]] neighborhood of [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], closed because of shoplifters.<ref>[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08358/937017-85.stm Thieves cause Hazelwood grocery to give up], Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 23, 2008</ref> Walgreens reported that it closed 10 stores in the San Francisco area between 2019 and 2020, primarily due to a surge in theft.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/10th-Walgreens-to-close-since-2019-in-San-15997595.php|title=Another San Francisco Walgreens is closing|date=March 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/local-politics/article/Out-of-control-Organized-crime-drives-S-F-16175755.php|title='Out of control': Organized crime drives S.F. Shoplifting, closing 17 Walgreens in five years|date=May 15, 2021}}</ref>

===Grab and run===

A common shoplifting technique is known by the Loss Prevention community as a "grab and run." Simply put, a shoplifter enters a retail establishment usually with prior knowledge of what they are looking for. The shoplifter moves very quickly toward the merchandise he or she wishes to steal. Once the shoplifter has found the merchandise, he or she proceeds toward the nearest store exit, usually while running. Due to the short amount of time that the shoplifter is inside the store, persons who attempt this [[scam]] are seldom caught or, in some cases, even detected.

In mid-October of 2021, [[Walgreens]] announced the closure of five stores in [[San Francisco]] due to an increase in retail theft in San Francisco. <ref>{{Cite news|title='Walgreens fed my family': inside the San Francisco stores closing over 'retail theft' |website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=November 15, 2021 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/15/walgreens-closures-san-francisco-crime-debate|access-date=2023-05-11 |last1=Clayton |first1=Abené }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Why Shoplifting Is Now De Facto Legal In California |url=https://www.hoover.org/research/why-shoplifting-now-de-facto-legal-california}}</ref>

Less common is for a group of people to rush into a store, grab as much merchandise as possible, and then rush out. The speed at which this happens as well as the large number of people involved make this approach difficult to stop.

==Differences by geography==

===Milkshake subterfuge===

Researches say that around the world, in countries including the United States, [[Canada]], Australia, [[Brazil]], [[Mexico]], South Africa, Japan, and India, people tend to shoplift the same types of items, and frequently even the same brands.<ref name="bamfield84">{{cite book|last=Bamfield|first=Joshua A. N. (Centre for Retail Research)|title=Shopping and crime (Crime Prevention and Security Management)|year=2012|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|___location=Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire|isbn=978-0-230-52160-5|page=84}}</ref>

A less common shoplifting technique used for smaller high-dollar items is the [[milkshake]] subterfuge. A milkshake is purchased by the shoplifter and taken into the store. The shoplifter proceeds to drop small heavy items like [[jewelry]] into the milkshake. On leaving the store their milkshake is unlikely to be searched. Shoplifters using this method must be wary of drinking too much of their milkshake or the items will be revealed in the bottom of their cup.

But there are also differences in shoplifting among different countries that reflect those countries' general consumption habits and preferences. In [[Milan]], [[saffron]], an expensive component of [[risotto|risotto alla Milanese]], is frequently shoplifted, and throughout [[Italy]], [[parmigiano reggiano]] is often stolen from supermarkets. In Spain, [[jamón ibérico]] is a frequent target. In France, the anise-flavoured liqueur [[Ricard Pastis|ricard]] is frequently stolen, and in Japan, experts believe that [[manga comics]], [[electronic games]] and [[whisky]] are most frequently stolen. Bookstores and magazine sellers in Japan have also complained about what they call "digital shoplifting", which refers to the photographing of material in-store for later reading. Packaged cheese has been the most frequently shoplifted item in [[Norway]], with thieves selling it afterwards to pizza parlours and fast food restaurants.<ref name="bamfield84"/>

===Metal-lined clothing or containers===

Metal-lined sacks, containers, or clothing (such as aluminum foil-lined undergarments) allow a would-be shoplifter to shield the [[RFID]] tags attached to merchandise concealed on their person from the scanners at the door of a store (see [[Faraday cage]]). [[2001]] [[Colorado]] House Bill 01-1221 made it a [[misdemeanor]] to possess, use, or know about and fail to report others who possess RFID shielding devices with intent to foil anti-shoplifting devices.

== Consequences ==

===Opening the item===

{{Main|Shopkeeper's privilege}}

This is a very simple form of shoplifting that has been used for years. The shoplifter gets a small valuable item, quickly puts it in a pocket, so that [[CCTV]] cameras and store staff don't notice. Then the shoplifter goes to the [[public toilet]], opens up the item, and flushes wrapping down the [[toilet]]. The shoplifter is sure to unwrap the item so that alarms will not go off when he or she leaves. After finishing this, the shoplifter simply walks out with it in a pocket.

Shoplifting is considered a form of theft in most jurisdictions. Retailers may also ban from their premises those who have shoplifted from stores.

=== United States ===

To combat this, many stores have policies barring unpaid merchandise from being taken into restroom facilities.

In most cases in the United States, store employees and managers have certain powers of arrest. Store officials may detain for investigation (for a reasonable length of time) the person who they have probable cause to believe is attempting to take or has unlawfully taken merchandise (see [[shopkeeper's privilege]]). Store employees may also have [[citizen's arrest]] powers,<ref>{{cite web|title=Citizen's Arrest Laws by State|url=http://solutions-institute.org/tools/citizens-arrest-laws-by-state/|website=Solutions Institute|access-date=12 September 2017}}</ref> but absent a statute granting broader authority, a citizen's arrest power is normally available only for felony offenses, while shoplifting is usually a misdemeanor offense.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Waltz|first1=John R.|title=Shoplifting and the Law of Arrest: The Merchant's Dilemma|journal=Yale Law Journal|date=1952|volume=62|issue=5|pages=788–805|url=http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/ylr62&div=51&id=&page=|access-date=12 September 2017|doi=10.2307/793505|jstor=793505|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

===Out the wrong door===

This method requires a common outside door with two diverging doors from the vestibule: one for an entrance (which is not usually supervised) and one for an [[exit]]. Two people enter the store. One person retrieves merchandise from the selling floor. When this person is ready to leave the store, he waits at the entrance door. The other person walks around to the exit, walks into the vestibule and activates the entrance door on the way out, and the person with the merchandise also leaves. Sometimes the second person will just distract the cashiers while the person with the merchandise waits for some unknowing customer to enter the store and activate the entrance door.

In the United States, store employees who detain suspects outside of and inside the store premises are generally granted limited powers of arrest by state law, and have the power to initiate criminal arrests or civil sanctions, or both, depending upon the policy of the retailer and the state statutes governing [[Civil recovery|civil demands and civil recovery]] for shoplifting as reconciled with the criminal laws of the jurisdiction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.attorneygeneral.org/shoplift.html |title=Tennessee Law, DAG, 7th JD: Shoplifting Section 39-14-144 |date=February 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018024924/http://www.attorneygeneral.org/shoplift.html |archive-date=October 18, 2007 }}</ref><ref>See, e.g., subsection (f)(1) of the {{cite web|title=California Penal Code, Sec. 490.5.|url=https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&sectionNum=490.5.|website=California Legislative Information|publisher=California State Legislature|access-date=12 September 2017}} (Permitting a retail employee to detain a suspected shoplifter for a reasonable amount of time.)</ref>

=== Power failure ===

In the event of a power failure where all lighting and CCTV goes out, the shoplifter quickly grabs as much as possible and calmly leaves the establishment before power is restored.

===ReceiptEngland matchingand Wales===

The receipt matching scam involves using receipts to match merchandise codes from the receipt to items found in a store. Most retailers use company specific merchandise codes on their merchandise so store personnel can identify the ___location more quickly and efficiently. Additionally the merchandise is used to verify merchandise that was purchased at a particular retailer during a return. This information is printed onto the receipts of purchased merchandise.

In England and Wales, an offence involving shoplifting may be charged under Section 1 of the Theft Act 1986; alternatively, if the goods stolen are worth less than £200, a person may be charged under Section 176 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine or up to six months in prison if the goods stolen are worth less than £200; if they are worth more than £200, the maximum penalty is seven years in prison.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.inbrief.co.uk/offences/shoplifting/ | title=Shoplifting: What happens if you are caught?}}</ref>

Typically shoplifters will search either retailer’s parking lot or trashcans looking for receipts that have a high dollar item on it. The shoplifter then enters the store and compares the code on the receipt to the codes printed on the merchandise in the store. Once the shoplifter finds a match they will take the merchandise to the return area and receive money for. Typically, to avoid detection, shoplifters will use a piece of paper with the merchandise code they are looking for written on it.

===Rope andMiddle East fenceline===

In large retail stores such as Home Depots and Walmarts that have Garden areas where there is no ceiling, two shoplifters will attempt to steal merchandise. One shoplifter will wait outside, while the shoplifter inside will take a cart full of merchandise (such as drills or sawblades) to the garden center. The shoplifter inside will then tie the merchandise to the rope, and throw the rope over the fenceline, and the customer waiting on the other side will untie it and take it.

In the Islamic legal system called [[Sharia]], ''[[hudud]]'' ("limits" or "restrictions") calls for ''[[sariqa]]'' ("theft") to be punished by [[amputation]] of the thief's right hand. This punishment is categorized as ''[[hadd]]'', meaning a punishment that restrains or prevents further crime. Sariqa is interpreted differently in different countries and by different scholars, and some say it does not include shoplifting.<ref>{{cite book|last=Jandt|first=Fred E.|title=An introduction to intercultural communication: identities in a global community|publisher=Sage Publications|___location=Thousand Oaks, Calif.|isbn=978-1-4129-9287-9|page=231|edition=7th|date=2012-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Haroon|first=Muhammad|title=Islam and Punishment|publisher=Vision Islamic Publications|page=40}}</ref> In [[Saudi Arabia]], shoplifters' hands may be amputated, though.<ref>{{cite news|last=Al-Nowaisser|first=Maha & May Nahhas|title=Spoiled Children Can Turn Into Kleptomaniacs|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/267363|access-date=August 13, 2012|newspaper=Arab News|date=May 23, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Shoplifter's hand to be amputated|url=http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/world-news/shoplifters-hand-to-be-amputated-2382676.html|access-date=August 13, 2012|newspaper=Independent News & Media PLC|date=October 16, 2010}}</ref>

===Self-checkout scam===

At some larger retailers, such as Wal-Mart, customers have the option of using self-checkout lanes, in which customers do not interact with employees at all when making purchases but check themselves out at a computer. Customers are expected to scan the items that they wish to purchase, insert payment for the scanned items, then bag the items and leave the store. Shoplifters have been known to purchase small items with these machines, and place additional items in their bags without paying for them. Many shoplifters intentionally act slightly confused when using these machines, and act as if they are attempting to scan the item which they wish to steal, so that, if confronted, they can claim that they took the additional items by mistake.

==Prevention==

*<small>'''NOTE''': The majority of these self check out machines have scales under the shopping bags (where you place the item after scanning). The scale checks that the amount of items in the bag weighs the same that is scanned. If the weight is off, generally, the supervising attendant will be signaled to come to the station for assistance.

{{main |Retail loss prevention}}

Shoplifting may be prevented and detected. [[Closed-circuit television]] (CCTV) monitoring is an important anti-shoplifting technology. [[Electronic article surveillance]] (EAS) is another method of inventory protection. [[Radio-frequency identification]] (RFID) is an anti-employee-theft and anti-shoplifting technology used in retailers such as [[Walmart]], which already heavily use RFID technology for inventory purposes. [[Loss prevention]] personnel can consist of both uniformed officers and plain-clothed store detectives. Large department stores will use both and smaller stores will use one or the other depending on their shrink strategy. Store detectives will patrol the store acting as if they are real shoppers. Physical measures include implementing a one-way entry and exit system, protected with devices such as "shark teeth" gates to ensure trolleys can only pass through one way.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-03-18|title=Shoplifters should be slapped with instant infringement fines, Retail NZ says|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/90405426/shoplifters-should-be-slapped-with-instant-infringement-fines-retail-nz-says|access-date=2020-06-22|website=Stuff|language=en}}</ref>

===ShoeClosed-Switchingcircuit television===

[[File:US Army 51805 Post, AAFES combat increases in juvenile shoplifting.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A [[retail loss prevention]] employee watches a store's [[CCTV]] cameras.]]

This scam involves footwear at major shoe stores or department stores. The shoplifter starts with finding the intended shoes to steal and when ready, asks the store sales associate to retrieve the correct sizes from the back stockroom. Once the shoes are brought out, the shoplifter will try on the shoe and pretend wrong sizing or that the shoe is uncomfortable. They ask for a new size and state that they will do a size comparison in which the shoes being worn are then left with the shoplifter. Once the store associate is sent back to the stockroom to retrieve the 2nd size, the shoplifter simply walks out with the new pair of shoes leaving the old pair in the box. Store associates assume that they must have changed their mind and discoveries are usually made when the same pair of shoes are summoned by a new customer.

[[Closed-circuit television]] (CCTV) monitoring is an important anti-shoplifting technology. Retailers focusing on loss prevention often devote most of their resources to this technology. Using CCTVs to apprehend shoplifters in the act requires full-time human monitoring of the cameras.

If seen by other store associates or door/greeting associates, the shoplifter explains that wearing the shoe immediately is preferred.

Sophisticated CCTV systems discriminate the scenes to detect and segregate suspicious behaviour from numerous screens and to enable automatic alerting. However, the attentiveness of the surveillance personnel may be threatened by false reliance on automatics.

CCTV is more effective if used in conjunction with [[electronic article surveillance]] (EAS) systems. The EAS system will warn of a potential shoplifter and the video may provide evidence for prosecution if the shoplifter is allowed to pass checkout points or leave store premises with unbought merchandise.

Many stores will use public-view monitors in the store to show people there that they are being recorded. That is intended as a deterrent to shoplifting. Some stores use inexpensive dummy cameras. Even though these fake cameras cannot record images, their presence may deter shoplifting.

===Shopping cart magic===

Shopping cart tricks are often disregarded by Loss Prevention personnel. Typically, older or professional shoplifters usually attempt this scam. The scam works in the following way: when the shoplifter first enters the store, they locate an empty shopping cart. The shoplifter finds the item they are looking for and typically place on the bottom or under the [[baby seat]]. The shoplifter then continues to gather a small dollar amount of merchandise and places it in the shopping cart. The shoplifter then brings the shopping cart to register and removes all the merchandise with the exception of the item they wish to steal. If the cashier is not paying attention the shoplifter will usually be able to get the merchandise past them without much effort. After paying for the smaller dollar items the shoplifter leaves the store and successfully pulls off the scam. The most prevalent method used to combat this scam is the use of door personnel who are trained to ask for receipts for high dollar and un-bagged merchandise; however, the shoplifter is under no legal obligation to comply with this.

===ShoppingElectronic cartarticle passingsurveillance===

[[Electronic article surveillance]] (EAS) are magnetic or radio-frequency tags that sound an alarm if a shoplifter leaves a store with store items that have not been paid for.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=DiLonardo |first1=Robert L. |title=Defining and measuring the economic benefit of electronic article surveillance |journal=Security Journal |date=1996 |volume=7 |pages=3–9|doi=10.1016/0955-1662(96)00144-0 }}</ref> EAS methods are second only to CCTV in popularity amongst retailers looking for inventory protection. EAS refers to the electronic security tags that are attached to merchandise and cause an alarm to sound on exiting the store. Some stores also have detection systems at the entrance to the restrooms that sound an alarm if someone tries to take unpaid merchandise with them into the restrooms. Regularly, even when an alarm does sound, a shoplifter walks out casually and is not confronted if no guards are present because of the high number of false alarms, especially in malls, due to "tag pollution" whereby non-deactivated tags from other stores set off the alarm. This can be overcome with newer systems and a properly trained staff. Some new systems either do not alarm from "tag pollution" or they produce a specific alarm when a customer enters the store with a non-deactivated tag so that store personnel can remove or deactivate it so it does not produce a false alarm when exiting the store. However, [[spider wrap]] may be used instead of tags.

Shopping cart passing is usually attempted by a two-person group of shoplifters. The first shoplifter will gather the desired merchandise into a shopping cart and take it to the register. The cashier will then ring up all the merchandise and place it in bags. Once the total is rung up, the first shoplifter states that they forgot their wallet in their car. The first shoplifter will then exit the store and most cashiers will put the shopping cart off to the side and resume ringing up customers. At this point, the second shoplifter moves in and grabs the cart and walks out of the store with the stolen merchandise in bags.

[[File:RFID and magneto-acoustic tags.JPG|thumb|right|Electronic article [[surveillance]] tags: [[Electronic article surveillance#Acousto-magnetic systems|acousto-magnetic]] (top) and [[Electronic article surveillance#Radio frequency (RF) systems|RF]] (bottom).]]

Some tags are stuck onto merchandise with glue (rather than being superimposed on) the shoplifter can easily scrape off the tag in their pocket. Pedestal EAS covers, which are made of durable vinyl, offer cost-effective means of adding a marketing tool at every entrance to a store; they are also custom-manufactured to fit any pedestal and can be printed to highlight specific brands or seasonal promotions. They do not interfere with the performance of the EAS systems and are easily cleaned or changed.<ref>{{cite web|title=Anti Shop Lifting|url=http://aflak.com.sa/newweb/html/eng/anti-shop-lifting.html|access-date=3 November 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202192439/http://aflak.com.sa/newweb/html/eng/anti-shop-lifting.html|archive-date=December 2, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Some shoplifters may employ [[Radio jamming|jammer]] devices to prevent EAS tags from triggering, or magnets to remove the tags. Stores may employ technology to detect jammers and magnets.

=== Staff impersonation ===

A shoplifter acquires the staff uniform of the supermarket he wishes to shoplift from and enters the store with a shopping trolley. They then load their shopping onto the trolley and walk out the store. If questioned they say they are wheeling the shopping into the car park for a disabled customer.

[[Radio-frequency identification]] (RFID) is an anti-employee-theft and anti-shoplifting technology used in retailers such as [[Walmart]], which already heavily use RFID technology for inventory purposes. If a product with an active RFID tag passes the exit scanners at a Walmart outlet, not only does it set off an alarm, but it also tells security personnel exactly what product to look for in the shopper's cart.<ref>[http://seekingalpha.com/article/194466-rfid-technology-transforming-food-retailers-like-wal-mart] RFID and Walmart</ref>

=== Staff impersonation ===

A shoplifter acquires the staff uniform of the supermarket he wishes to shoplift from and enters the store with a shopping trolley. They then load their shopping onto the trolley and walk out the store. If questioned they say they are wheeling the shopping into the car park for a disabled cusineptomer.

===WalkExit out techniqueinspections===

In the United States, shoppers are under no actual obligation to accede to such a search unless the employee has reasonable grounds to suspect shoplifting and arrests the customer or takes or looks at the receipt from the customer without violating any laws<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lps1.com/bw.digg.html |title=Black & White, Birmingham's City Paper |publisher=Lps1.com |access-date=2012-04-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220050637/http://www.lps1.com/bw.digg.html |archive-date=February 20, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.die.net/musings/bestbuy/ |title=Best Buy Receipt Check |publisher=die.net |access-date=2012-04-17}}</ref> or if the customer has signed a membership agreement which stipulates that customers will subject themselves to inspections before taking the purchased merchandise from the store. In the cases of [[Sam's Club]] and [[Costco]], the contracts merely say that it is their policy to check receipts at the exit or that they "reserve the right." That wording does not specify the results of non-compliance by the customer, and since they did not have a right to re-check receipts in the first place, it may not be legally binding at all. The purchaser who holds the receipt owns the merchandise. Employees who harass, assault, touch, or detain customers or take their purchased merchandise may be committing [[tort]]s or crimes against the customers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/rip-offs/10-things-your-warehouse-club-won-t-tell-you/?page=2 |title=10 Things Warehouse Clubs Won't Tell You |publisher=SmartMoney.com |date=September 4, 2009 |access-date=2012-04-17}}</ref>

The walk out technique is the process of browsing the store and upon completion you walk out of the store, like you normally would, with item(s) in hand. This technique seems that it would be an impractical idea but generally is very effective due to the fact that people generally do not notice the "casual shopper" but rather notice people who act suspiciously. To other shoppers it seems like you are walking out with an item you bought but didn't bother to bag, or it was an article of clothing you walked in wearing but removed while shopping (eg. jacket).<br>

===Display cases===

This tactic is usually limited to small amounts of clothing, four being the practical highest quantity. And is generally only done in large department stores like [[Macy's]] or [[Sears]] that have multiple entrances.</br>

[[File:New Nintendo 3DS Display Case PAX Australia 2014.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[New Nintendo 3DS]] decorative cases and consoles in a locked display case.]]

Some expensive merchandise will be in a locked case requiring an employee to get items at a customer's request. The customer is either required to purchase the merchandise immediately or it is left at the checkout register (under the supervision of a cashier) for the customer to purchase when finished shopping. This prevents the customer from having a chance to conceal the item.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meyersohn |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-07-30 |title=Why Old Spice, Colgate and Dawn are locked up at drug stores {{!}} CNN Business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/30/business/drug-stores-locked-products/index.html |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==

==Anti-shoplifting options==

* [[Book store shoplifting]]

===Closed Circuit Television===

* [[Civil recovery]]

[[Closed-circuit television|CCTV]] monitoring is an important anti shoplifting method. Retailers focused on loss prevention often devote most of their resources to this technology.

* [[Dine and dash]]

* ''[[Evasion (book)|Evasion]]'', an autobiography detailing one man's shoplifting and [[dumpster diving]]-supported travels

* [[Exit control lock]]

* [[Fence (criminal)]]

* [[John Papworth]]

* [[Kleptomania]]

* [[Larceny]]

* [[Library theft]]

* [[Organized retail crime]]

* [[Package pilferage]]

* [[Receipt of stolen property]]

* [[Retail loss prevention]]

* [[StopLift]], a checkout vision system

* [[Sweethearting]]

* [[Yomango]]

== References ==

===Electronic Article Surveillance===

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

[[Electronic article surveillance]] is second only to CCTV in popularity amongst retailers looking for inventory protection. EAS refers to the security tags that attach to a garment and cause an alarm to sound when removed from the store.

== Further reading ==

==Famous cases==

Probably the most famous legal case involving shoplifting occurred in 2001 when actress

[[Winona Ryder]] was arrested for shoplifting at [[Saks Fifth Avenue]] [[department store]] in

[[Beverly Hills, California]]. Ryder was eventually convicted of misdemeanor

theft and vandalism. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3821355.stm] In 2003, ''[[Will & Grace]]'' actress [[Shelley Morrison]] (who played [[Rosario Salazar]]) was arrested for shoplifting at a [[Robinsons-May]] store in [[California]]; the charges were later dropped. In early 2006, former [[White House]] aide [[Claude Allen]] was arrested for an alleged [[refund theft|return scam]] at a [[Target Corporation|Target]] store in [[Gaithersburg, Maryland]].

==Atypical= TheftBooks Offenders===

* {{Citation|last=Shulman|first=Terrence Daryl|year=2003|title=Something for Nothing: Shoplifting Addiction and Recovery|publisher=Infinity Publishing|___location=Pennsylvania|isbn=978-0-7414-1779-4}}

Another category of shoplifters (who are almost invariably - and erroneously - labelled as suffering from kleptomania) are persons who clinical investigator Dr. Will Cupchik has labelled 'Atypical Theft Offenders'. These usually honest persons may steal in response to personally meaningful losses and/or other stressors. His book, ''Why Honest People Shoplift or Commit Other Acts of Theft'' (2002) provides data and conclusions of two studies conducted by Dr. Cupchik, as well as assessment and treatment methods. The major reasons that these persons should not be labelled as kleptomaniacs has to do with the fact that there are virtually always external triggering events that can be identified as just preceding the theft activity, and the fact that the stealing is virtually always an act of vengeance carried out in anger (although seldom recognized as such by the offender). The existence of an external trigger and the feelings of anger and desire for vengeance are factors that, according to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, would exclude the diagnosis of 'kleptomania'.

* {{Citation|last=Hoffman|first=Abbie|author-link=Abbie Hoffman|year=2002|title=Steal This Book|publisher=Four Walls Eight Windows|___location=New York|isbn=978-1-56858-217-7|title-link=Steal This Book}}

* {{Citation|last=Budden|first=Michael Craig|title=Preventing Shoplifting Without Being Sued|year=1999|publisher=Quorum Books|___location=Westport, CT|isbn=978-1-56720-119-2}}

* {{Citation|last=Cupchik|first=Will|title=Why Honest People Shoplift or Commit Other Acts Of Theft|year=1997|publisher=W. Cupchik|___location=Toronto|isbn=978-1-896342-07-8}}

* Cupchik, Will (2013)

* {{Citation|last=Christman|first=John H.|title=Shoplifting: Managing the Problem|publisher=ASIS International|___location=Alexandria, VA|year=2006|isbn=978-1-887056-64-9}}

* {{Citation|last=Hayes|first=Read|title=Retail Security and Loss Prevention|year=1991|publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann |___location=Boston|isbn=978-0-7506-9038-6}}

* {{Citation|last=Horan|first=Donald J.|title=The Retailer's Guide to Loss Prevention and Security|year=1996|publisher=CRC |___location=Boca Raton, FL|isbn=978-0-8493-8110-2}}

* {{Citation|last=Kimieckik|first=Rudolf C.|title=Loss Prevention Guide for Retail Businesses|year=1995|publisher=Wiley|___location=New York|isbn=978-0-471-07636-0}}

* {{Citation|last=Sennewald|first=Charles A.|title=Shoplifters vs Retailers: The Rights of Both|year=2000|publisher=New Century Press|___location=Chula Vista, CA|isbn=978-1-890035-18-1|url=https://archive.org/details/shopliftersvsret0000senn}}

* {{Citation|last=Thomas|first=Chris|title=Loss Prevention in the Retail Business|year=2005|publisher=Wiley|___location=Hoboken, NJ|isbn=978-0-471-72321-9}}

* {{cite book|author=Philip Purpura|title=Security and Loss Prevention: An Introduction|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O9QOygqKf8QC|year=2007|publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann|isbn=978-0-12-372525-7|edition=5th}}

* {{cite book|author=Joshua Bamfield|title=Shopping and Crime|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0MHX31L-H94C|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-230-39350-9|year=2012}}

* {{cite book|author=Kerry Segrave|title=Shoplifting: a social history|year=2001|publisher=McFarland|___location=Jefferson, NC [u.a.]|isbn=978-0-7864-0908-2|url=https://archive.org/details/shoplifting00kerr}}

==References= Articles ===

* {{Citation|last=Cupchik|first=W.|author2=Atcheson D. J.|title=Shoplifting: An Occasional Crime of the Moral Majority|journal=Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law|year=1983|volume=11|issue=4|pages=343–54|pmid=6661563|postscript=.}}

*{{cite book

* [https://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2005/08/68609 Yomango "Shoplifting as Social Commentary" by Robert Andrews]

| author = [[Abbie Hoffman]]

| year = 2002

| title = [[Steal This Book]]

| publisher = Four Walls Eight Windows

| id = ISBN 1-56858-217-X

}}

==See also==

*[[Refund theft]]

*[[Kleptomania]]

*[[Loss prevention]]

*''[[Evasion (book)|Evasion]]'' - an autobiography detailing one anarchist's shoplifting- and [[dumpster diving]]-supported travels

==External links==

*[http://www.shopliftingprevention.org Shoplifting Prevention]

*[http://www.crimedoctor.com/shoplifting.htm Shoplifting]

*[http://www.crimethinc.com/library/english/shoplifting.html On political shoplifting]

*[http://www.people.freenet.de/uplifting/SL_htm/SL_Biblio.htm Shoplifting Bibliography]

*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1634865,00.html?gusrc=rss ''To catch a thief''] - ''[[The Guardian]]'' - A November [[2005]] article about [[Terrence Shulman]], a "shoplifting addict" turned public speaker on the issue. Includes statistics on shoplifting in the United States.

*[http://www.whyhonestpeoplesteal.com] Web site managed by psychologist Dr. Will Cupchik, the most senior researcher/clinician in the area of 'Atypical Theft Offenders', i.e., usually honest persons who may occasionally steal in response to external triggering events and circumstances.

[[Category:Commerce]]

[[Category:Theft]]

[[Category:Distribution, retailing, and wholesalingCrimes]]

[[Category:CriminologyProperty topicscrimes]]

[[Category:Retailing-related crime]]

[[Category:Organized crime activity]]

[[de:Ladendiebstahl]]

[[ja:万引き]]

[[fi:Näpistys]]

[[sv:Snatteri]]

[[zh:店舖盜竊]]