Hamilton Police are hunting for a trio of people who robbed a Hamilton superette armed with a large knife and a hammer.
The offenders robbed the Deanwell Superette on Deanwell Avenue this morning, shortly before 7.
They arrived in a stolen red Mazda Demio, police said, which was driven by a fourth person.
The car had been stolen from a Plunket Terrace address overnight.
Upon the robbers arrival the store manager fled and locked himself in a back room.
The offenders then took a large quantity of cigarettes, along with a number of smaller items before fleeing the scene in a stolen vehicle.
The vehicle was seized by police and would be forensically examined.
Hamilton Police were asking anyone with relevant information to get in touch.