'Shopdropping' rises for the holidays

NEW YORK, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Some U.S. stores have recorded a holiday-season rise in 'shopdropping,' the act of taking items to stores and leaving them on the shelves.

The practice, also known as reverse-shoplifting, is sometimes used to convey a religious or political message -- such as religious flyers inserted into gay and lesbian publications and anti-consumerist dolls planted on shelves -- and other times can be used as a means of promotion, The New York Times reported Monday.

Jason Brody, lead singer for independent pop-punk band The Death of Jason Brody, said his band has spent the holiday shopping season putting stickers for big-name designers, including Diesel, John Varvatos and 7 for All Mankind, on their CDs and hiding them in the pockets of jeans or on counters at major retailers.

"Bloomingdale's and 7 for All Mankind present the Death of Jason Brody, our pick for New York band to watch in 2008," read a sticker on a CD placed on a Bloomingdale's counter. "As thanks for trying us on, we're giving you this special holiday gift."

Scott Wolfson, a spokesman for the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, said he was unsure about the legality of shopdropping but it could raise safety concerns if the products don't meet federal safety standards and labeling requirements.