THE BOOK IS THE FIRST INFORMED ASSESSMENT, FOR OVER A DECADE, OF THE GROWING PROBLEM OF SHOPLIFTING IN ENGLAND WHERE 180,000 KNOWN OFFENSES WERE COMMITTED IN 1977. IT DESCRIBES THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF SHOPLIFTING, THE CHANGING PATTERN OF RETAIL ACTIVITY, AND THE RESULTS OF A FIELD STUDY OF CRIME IN EXETER. SPECIFIC RESEARCH HYPOTHESES WERE TESTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VICTIM REMOVAL AND VICTIM PREVENTION AND A 10-PERCENT SAMPLE OF SHOPKEEPERS AND OFFENDERS WAS DRAWN. RECORDS OF SHOPLIFTING OFFENSES KNOWN TO THE EXETER POLICE WERE USED, SHOPKEEPERS WERE INTERVIEWED, AND OFFENDERS' POLICE RECORDS WERE EXAMINED. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS WERE THAT SHOPLIFTING IS AN ENDURING CRIME WITH A HIGH SURVIVAL RATE AND EXTENSIVE RESISTANCE TO CONTROL. IN COUNTER-SERVICE SHOPS, THE RATE OF SHOPLIFTING IS NEGLIGIBLE, AND IN SELF-SERVICE SHOPS THE RATE IS HIGH. THE PART PLAYED BY THE POTENTIAL VICTIM IN THE CRIME OF SHOPLIFTING IS IMPORTANT. TECHNIQUES FOR PREVENTING SHOPLIFTING INCLUDE MAKING STAFF AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, TIGHT STOCK CONTROL, ANTITHEFT DEVICES SUCH AS ALARM SYSTEMS, WELL-LIGHTED PREMISES AND DISPLAYS, AND SMALL RATHER THAN LARGE SALES. TABULAR DATA, NOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MJW)