"Shoplifting: A Social History focuses on American retailing over the last 140 years or so. Following the Civil War, both the incidence of shoplifting and cultural awareness of it increased." "One interesting trend is the progression from the lower-class shoplifter in the early years to the stereotypical upper-class woman and then teenager. Also of interest is that in the year 2000, as much as 70 percent of inventory loss was due not to shoplifting but to employee theft and "paperwork errors."". "This book also addresses the retail industry's use of detective services, surveillance technology and antitheft devices, as well as media coverage and the response of the judicial system."--BOOK JACKET.