▁practice : ▁shop l if ters ▁were ▁also ▁con ▁artists , ▁pick po ckets , ▁p im ps , ▁or ▁prost it utes . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁London ▁shop keep ers ▁began ▁to ▁display ▁goods ▁in ▁ways ▁designed ▁to ▁attract ▁sh opp ers , ▁such ▁as ▁in ▁window ▁displays ▁and ▁glass ▁cases . ▁This ▁made ▁the ▁goods ▁more ▁accessible ▁for ▁sh opp ers ▁to ▁handle ▁and ▁examine , ▁which ▁histor ians ▁say ▁led ▁to ▁an ▁acceleration ▁of ▁shop l ifting . ▁ ▁The ▁word ▁shop l ift ▁( then , ▁shop - l ift ) ▁first ▁appeared ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁in ▁books ▁like ▁The ▁Lad ies ▁Dictionary , ▁which , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁describing ▁shop l ifting , ▁provided ▁tips ▁on ▁losing ▁weight ▁and ▁sty ling ▁hair . ▁ ▁Fem ale ▁shop l if ters ▁of ▁this ▁period ▁were ▁also ▁called ▁" A maz ons " ▁or ▁" ro aring ▁girl ". ▁Not orious ▁female ▁shop l if ters ▁in ▁London ▁included ▁Mary ▁Fr ith , ▁the ▁pick po cket ▁and ▁f ence ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁M oll ▁C ut pur se , ▁prost itute ▁and ▁pick po cket ▁M oll ▁King , ▁Sarah ▁McC abe ▁whose ▁shop l ifting ▁career ▁sp anned ▁twenty ▁years , ▁and ▁Maria ▁Carl ston ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁Mary ▁Black e ), ▁whose ▁life ▁was ▁documented ▁by ▁di ar ist ▁Samuel ▁P ep ys , ▁who ▁was ▁eventually ▁executed ▁for ▁the ft ,