If you try to steal from the shops and don't get caught, are there still any negative effects? I.e. does the shopkeeper realize that you were the one who must have lifted his wares the last time you were there?

If you have patched your game with one of the more recent updates, yes, the storekeepers eventually catch on to your thievery. If all you have is the Ascension Peak patch (or none at all), they never figure out what you're doing.

<center>Nightowl2</center>