Title: Shoplifting - Wikipedia
Headings: Shoplifting
Shoplifting
Contents
Definition
Types of individuals
Amateurs
Career criminals
Legal definitions
Common items
Economist perspectives
Methods
Concealing
Walkout/pushout
History
Motivations
Differences by geography
Economic impact and response from shops
Consequences
United States
United Kingdom
Middle East
Prevention
Closed-circuit television
Electronic article surveillance
Staff roles
Exit inspections
Display cases
Retail bag check exit policy
Notable cases
See also
References
Further reading
Books
Articles

Content: 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. Firstly, the labels will split apart upon attempted removal, and secondly, 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. 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 accidental putting of 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.