). ▁ ▁Definition ▁Sh op l ifting ▁is ▁the ▁act ▁of ▁know ingly ▁taking ▁goods ▁from ▁an ▁establishment ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁are ▁displayed ▁for ▁sale , ▁without ▁pay ing ▁for ▁them . ▁Sh op l ifting ▁usually ▁involves ▁conce aling ▁items ▁on ▁the ▁person ▁or ▁an ▁accomp lice , ▁and ▁leaving ▁the ▁store ▁without ▁pay ing . ▁However , ▁shop l ifting ▁can ▁also ▁include ▁price ▁switching ▁( sw apping ▁the ▁price ▁labels ▁of ▁different ▁goods ), ▁ref und ▁fra ud , ▁" ward ro bing " ▁( return ing ▁clothes ▁after ▁they ▁have ▁been ▁worn ), ▁and ▁" gra zing " ▁( e ating ▁or ▁sampling ▁a ▁store ' s ▁goods ▁while ▁in ▁the ▁store ). ▁Price ▁switching ▁is ▁now ▁an ▁almost ▁ext inct ▁form ▁of ▁shop l ifting ▁for ▁two ▁reasons . ▁First ly , ▁the ▁labels ▁will ▁split ▁apart ▁upon ▁attempted ▁removal , ▁and ▁second ly , ▁virt ually ▁all ▁ret ail ▁c ash iers ▁now ▁scan ▁items ▁at ▁the ▁register , ▁rather ▁than ▁re lying ▁on ▁price ▁stick ers . ▁Ret ail ers ▁report ▁that ▁shop l ifting ▁has ▁a ▁significant ▁effect ▁on ▁their ▁bottom ▁line , ▁stating ▁that ▁about ▁ 0 . 6 % ▁of ▁all ▁invent ory ▁disapp ears ▁to ▁shop l if ters . ▁ ▁Gener ally , ▁criminal ▁the ft ▁involves ▁taking ▁possession ▁of ▁property ▁il leg ally . ▁In ▁self - service ▁sh ops , ▁customers ▁are ▁allowed ▁by ▁the ▁property ▁owner ▁to ▁take ▁physical ▁possession ▁of ▁the ▁property ▁by ▁holding ▁or ▁moving ▁it