Watch: Thieves target luxury items in 'brazen' smash and grab at Auckland boutique store

Brazen thieves caught on camera have stolen $100,000 worth of luxury European clothes from a designer boutique in Auckland. 

A smash and grab at Zing boutique on Auckland's High Street, in full view of Friday night shoppers, has the owner in disbelief.

Zing's owner says the burglars - who broke in at 7:15pm on a busy Friday night - were fearless.

"They weren't afraid," the owner tells Newshub. "They were in-and-out in 25 seconds."

Zing's manager, who has asked not to be named, says there's a good chance they've been inside the store before.

"Basically [they stole] the more expensive things - so they took Balenciaga, Off-White, some Gucci, some accessories," they tell Newshub.

"I'm assuming they may have been at the store previously at some point, but can't be sure."

Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford says crime aimed at retail stores is becoming "increasingly organised, increasingly aggressive and increasingly brazen".

And it's increasingly costly for the thousands of Kiwi retailers hit by thieves annually.

"Retail crime costs the country about $1.1 billion a year in terms of direct losses plus retailers are spending close to half a billion dollars a year trying to prevent it," Harford says.

"Criminals think they can act with impunity when really theft is theft and it's not okay to steal."

Police tell Newshub the pair had a car waiting, as pedestrians and motorists watched on in disbelief.

"Our enquiries into this incident remain ongoing and we are following lines of enquiry," a police spokesperson says.

Police say they're still trying to locate those who cleaned out the bulk of Zing's stock, but its owner reckons it'll be months before this store's back in business.