Police were called to an aggravated robbery at a Maraenui store this afternoon.
A police spokesperson said they received a report of an aggravated robbery at the Price Cutter store, on Longfellow Ave, at 12:34pm.
A young male threatened the shop keeper with a mallet and took cigarettes and money, they said.
"Police are at the scene speaking with the victim and making enquiries to locate the offender."
The incident follows Flaxmere dairy owner Rakesh Kumar's call to the Government to take his vocation seriously after three male teenagers tried to rob his store with knives and a golf club in November last year.