▁pushing ▁a ▁cart ▁out ▁without ▁pay ing ▁or ▁walking ▁out ▁we aring ▁a ▁store - owned ▁coat . ▁Some ▁" push out " ▁shop l if ters ▁purpose fully ▁exit ▁quickly ▁to ▁avoid ▁detection , ▁as ▁this ▁gives ▁employees ▁less ▁time ▁to ▁react . ▁ ▁Many ▁stores ▁instruct ▁employees ▁other ▁than ▁those ▁directly ▁involved ▁in ▁the ft ▁prevent ion ▁or ▁security ▁to ▁confront ▁someone ▁only ▁verb ally ▁to ▁avoid ▁any ▁possibility ▁of ▁being ▁held ▁li able ▁for ▁injury ▁or ▁unw arr anted ▁det ention . ▁While ▁that ▁may ▁allow ▁st olen ▁goods ▁to ▁not ▁be ▁recovered , ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁re venue ▁may ▁be ▁jud ged ▁to ▁be ▁acceptable ▁in ▁light ▁of ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁a ▁potential ▁law suit ▁or ▁an ▁employee ▁being ▁injured ▁by ▁a ▁fle eing ▁shop l if ter . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁Sh op l ifting , ▁originally ▁called ▁" l ifting ", ▁is ▁as ▁old ▁as ▁sho pping . ▁The ▁first ▁documented ▁shop l ifting ▁started ▁to ▁take ▁place ▁in ▁ 1 6 th - century ▁London , ▁and ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁groups ▁of ▁men ▁called ▁lif ters . ▁In ▁ 1 5 9 1 , ▁play w right ▁Robert ▁Gre ene ▁published ▁a ▁pam ph let ▁titled ▁The ▁Second ▁Part ▁of ▁Con y ▁C atch ing , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁described ▁how ▁three ▁men ▁could ▁consp ire ▁to ▁shop l ift ▁clothes ▁and ▁fabric ▁from ▁London ▁mer ch ants . ▁When ▁it ▁was ▁first ▁documented , ▁shop l ifting ▁was ▁character ized ▁as ▁an ▁under world