The Police Minister says the brazen robbery of an Auckland dairy on Wednesday afternoon, during which two people were injured, is "abhorrent".
A manhunt is continuing for the offenders, who stormed into the Mt Roskill before attacking the victims with hammers.
Police said the two offenders then fled with cash and tobacco.
Ginny Andersen, the Police Minister, said any violence against people was "completely unacceptable".
"Everyone deserves to be safe when they go to work," she said in a statement.
Andersen went on to say the robbery was being taken "very seriously" by the police and were "working to hold the offenders to account".
"This type of offending is abhorrent and the Government will continue to resource police so they can catch offenders and make them accountable for their actions."
Last month, Andersen admitted the recent spike in retail crime was "simply not acceptable in New Zealand".
Figures revealed by Andersen during a Justice Select Committee in June showed the National Retail Investigation Support Unit, established just over a year ago, had brought about 1241 charges against 195 offenders.
Earlier this year, the Government pumped another $9 million into its small retail crime prevention programme.
But critics have said it's not enough.
"What else can you do? … I have personally given feedback to the Government and we've told them retail crime is on the up," Sandringham Business Association chair Jithin Chittibomma told AM on Thursday.
"This has been going on since mid-late 2021 so what else can we do? We're obviously very frustrated."
Last week, Newshub asked Auckland Minister Carmel Sepuloni just how bad the crime was in her city.
"Oh I wouldn't say it's bad at all," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
New programmes and increasing numbers of police officers were combating the problem, Sepuloni said.
"Everyone in Auckland feels that there are a number of things happening, particularly with ram-raids. Obviously, we have seen a decrease in those, we've seen investment in young people but, of course, it is front of mind for Aucklanders."
