A Central Auckland store selling luxury goods was cleared out by masked robbers yesterday afternoon, threatening a terrified worker with hammers.
The brazen robbery took place about 4.30pm at the Lavish Luxury store on High St, just around the corner from Queen Street.
A group of three hooded thieves pulled up in a car outside the store before bursting in.
CCTV footage provided to 1News shows one of the robbers darting towards a worker behind the store's counter with a hammer raised above his head.
In around 60 seconds, the group "smashed through and took everything they could", store owner Chris Chan told 1News.
His business partner hid behind the store counter during the terrifying ordeal with his arms above his head.
The High St store sells luxury items for women like designer handbags and clothing — locked away in glass cases. The CCTV footage shows the group smashing that glass with their hammers.
"They took a lot from the store — Gucci, Louis, Dior.
"They completely cleared us out," Chan said.
With the floor now covered in glass, the trio escaped, leaving the worker shocked.
A video taken from across the street appears to show one of the offenders threatening a passerby with a hammer as they make their escape outside the store.
The woman can be seen flinching as the man raises his hammer, raising a shopping bag over their head.
Chan said the event was "incredibly distressing", saying the robbery was like "nothing we've had before".
"In March or April, we had a man on a scooter come in and steal some things before running away, but this was the worst thing we've experienced."
He told 1News that his business partner, the worker threatened with a hammer, was incredibly distressed through the whole ordeal.
"He was very scared when they robbed the store," he said.
In a statement to 1News police said officers were "called after a group of people entered the store and stole goods".
While nobody has been arrested yet, a spokesperson said police are "following positive lines of inquiry to locate those involved".
There were no reports of injuries following the robbery.
Anyone with information to assist police is being asked to call 105.
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