A shop owner who witnessed the violent robbery of an Auckland liquor store said the offender "casually walked" away from the shop with a six-pack.
A worker from the store remains in hospital, after being struck in the head during the robbery on Friday.
Blood stains the entrance to the shop where a staff member was seriously injured in a brazen daylight attack.
"We don't expect that here," said Bhajnam Kaur, who manages the Chapel Downs Supermarket a few stores away.
She called the police.
"A lot of people [were] all huddled up together and watching what's happening by the liquor store," Kaur told Newshub.
Newshub has learned the victim was a staff member at the Chapel Downs Discount Liquor store, and he was struck on the back of the head.
In addition, locals rushed to help him as he lay on the ground until an ambulance eventually came and took him to Auckland City Hospital.
"I saw the guy, he had blood coming out of the back of his head and he had his hand up, like that, at the back of his head to stop the blood," said Kaur.
Police cordoned off the area while a forensic examination took place.
Kaur said she saw the offender leave the scene with a six-pack of alcoholic drinks.
"He didn't even run. He just casually walked towards the library and then I heard from other people - some of our customers said that he started running after that," she added.
It comes less than two months after a dairy owner in the Auckland suburb of New Windsor was stabbed up to 15 times in his head, neck and chest during a daylight attack.
New Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Newshub in a statement his thoughts are with the worker and his family.
"This was another cowardly attack on a hardworking retail worker just trying to earn a living and support the business he works in."
The new coalition Government is determined to tackle violent crime, Mitchell said.
"We have a world-class police force with deep capability, resolve and determination to keep their communities safe," he told Newshub.
"With the community behind them, working and partnering with councils, the private sector and retail we will start to turn the tide."
"The crime is getting even more violent day by day. The law and order is getting from bad to worse in New Zealand unfortunately," said Sunny Kaushal, chair of the Dairy and Business Owners Group.
He wants the new Government to stick to its promise of combating crime.
"We are now watching the new coalition Government - they need to walk their talk," Kaushal said.
"Let's see if this new Government has anything up its sleeve, because they know they can get away with it," said Kaur.
And store workers like Kaur pray theirs won't be targeted next.
