FIGURES SHOW THAT THE NUMBER OF THEFTS IN AND FROM DEPARTMENT STORES AND SELF-SERVICE STORES INCREASED SEVENFOLD FROM 1962 TO 1977 AND BEGAN TO RISE SHARPLY AFTER 1975; THESE DATA DO NOT CONSIDER THE LARGE AND UNMEASURABLE NUMBER OF UNREPORTED THEFTS. TWO-THIRDS OF THE CASES OF SIMPLE SHOPLIFING OCCUR IN BIG CITIES, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE MANY SELF-SERVICE STORES; HIGHER RATES ARE EVIDENT IN NORTHERN STATES FOR UNEXPLAINED REASONS. THEFTS ARE MOST FREQUENT FROM FEBRUARY TO APRIL AND OCTOBER TO DECEMBER; ON THURSDAYS, MONDAYS OR SATURDAYS; AND LATE IN THE MORNING OR AFTERNOON, WHEN THE MOST CUSTOMERS ARE PRESENT. THE RATE OF SOLVED CASES IS PROBABLY HIGH (96.1 PERCENT) BECAUSE MOST OFFENDERS ARE CAUGHT IMMEDIATELY BY STORE DETECTIVES; FOR MORE SERIOUS CASES, FEWER OFFENDERS ARE IDENTIFIED AT THE TIME OF THEFT. DEMOGRAPHICALLY, OFFENDERS ARE MOST USUALLY MALE CHILDREN OR ADOLESCENTS, OR FEMALE ADULTS OVER 40 YEARS OLD. THE PROPORTION OF WOMEN OFFENDERS IS MUCH HIGHER THAN FOR OTHER CRIMES, SUGGESTING THAT THE SHOPLIFTERS DO NOT BELONG TO A CLASS OF HARDENED CRIMINALS. FURTHERMORE, THE DISTRIBUTION OF OFFENDERS' RESIDENCES IS SIMILAR TO THAT FOR OTHER CRIMES, WITH THREE-FOURTHS OF THE OFFENDERS COMMITTING CRIMES IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS. FOREIGNERS DO NOT MAKE UP A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF SHOPLIFTERS. THE MONETARY DAMAGES FROM SHOPLIFTING ARE GENERALLY LOW (UNDER 25 GERMAN MARKS IN TWO-THIRDS OF THE CASES, AND 20 MILLION MARKS FOR ALL THE STATES IN 1977) IN COMPARISON TO SUCH CRIMES AS SIMPLE THEFT (400 MILLION MARKS). COMPARATIVE FIGURES INDICATE THAT THE LEVEL OF SHOPLIFTING IS SIMILAR IN THE GERMAN FEDERAL REPUBLIC, ENGLAND, WALES, SWEDEN, AND THE U.S., BUT LOWER IN AUSTRIA WHERE THERE ARE FEWER SELF-SERVICE STORES. TABLES AND NOTES ARE FURNISHED. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)