Robber makes off with potato chips after gunpoint robbery at Woolston Discounter, Christchurch.

A gun-wielding robber, possibly struggling to see with a jersey around his face, tripped leaving the store with both arms full of cigarette papers and lollies.

The man dropped the lot, scrambled back to the counter for a bag of potato chips – then ran.

CCTV footage shows the bungling robber enter the Woolston Discounter dairy on Ferry Rd, Christchurch at 8.56pm on Sunday.

A robber makes off with potato chips after gunpoint robbery at Woolston Discounter, Christchurch.

The man rushes to the counter, aiming a gun at the employee who runs into a safe room at the back of the dairy. That's when he "messed up".

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The robber gathers what he can from the counter in both arms and heads for the door.

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/FAIRFAX NZ Sujan and Chandana Burra are considering installing a panic alarm and closing the store at 4pm or 5pm.

As he approaches the exit he drops all of his loot and slips.

He then runs back to the counter and takes one or two bags of potato chips.

The robber was last seen heading south-east on foot along Ferry Rd.

JAMIE SMALL The armed robber left a trail of items strewn over the floor.

"He messed up," store manager Sujan Burra said.

"He tried to grab everything. He didn't know what he was doing, but he just wanted to take something."

Burra said it was the ninth time the store had been robbed in seven months.

JAMIE SMALL Thieves have targeted the Woolston Discounter nine times since September.

He took ownership last September. It was robbed the day he started and every month since.

"My employees don't want to work at night after this."

Burra would have a meeting with employees on Monday to discuss what to do next. The options included installing a panic alarm and closing the store at 4pm or 5pm.

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/STUFF.CO.NZ Sujan and Chandana Burra were robbed the day they took over ownership of the Woolston Discounter, on Ferry Rd. They have been robbed almost every month since.

"It just doesn't make any sense for me [to keep it open]."

The dairy is about 200 metres from the Woolston Night 'n Day, which has been robbed nine times in a similar period.

Last month, thieves targeted Barra's store twice.

Woolston Discounter Two men robbing the Woolston Discounter in late April sparked an altercation.

In early April, a knife-wielding robber in a skull mask stole cash. That sparked Burra to put a baseball bat under the counter and a lock on a gate at the end of the counter to separate employees from the store.

On April 27, two men tried to rob the store – one tried to barge through the gate, but the lock kept him out.

Burra swung the baseball bat at one of the men, before both took off on bicycles with a handful of snacks.

The Woolston Discounter The Woolston Discounter was robbed for the fifth time earlier in April

Police appealed to members of the public who might have seen suspicious activity around the Woolston Dairy.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Detective Craig Lattimore on 03 363 7400. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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