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.
Among the offenders were 17-year-olds Maui Maaka and Mana Huriwai who pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted aggravated robbery.
Both have since been sentenced to six months' community detention, with Maaka getting an additional 12 months' supervision and Huriwai 12 months' intensive supervision.
As is in this case, cash and cigarettes are common targets for such robberies.
The summary of facts for the would-be teenaged robbers stated Huriwai told police he saw an opportunity to get some money.
Maaka stated he intended to rob the store of cash and cigarettes but realised it was a bad idea in hindsight.
A month after the Flaxmere incident a Napier diary was the target of another attempted aggravated robbery when 42-year-old Kahu Timoti Wihapi was chased from the Hastings St store by a breast cancer fundraiser supporter dressed as a pink fairy.
He had concealed an unloaded single-barrel shotgun in his pants and was sentenced to two years and seven months' jail for the attempted robbery in the Napier District Court on December 19.
When police spoke to him after the incident he told them he just wanted to go back to prison.
The maximum penalty for aggravated robbery is 14 years' imprisonment while attempted aggravated robbery carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment.
Police are following positive lines of enquiry and are reviewing CCTV footage.