Thieves took thousands of dollars worth of sunglasses, laptops and sports gear from Timaru shops early on Saturday.

Acting Sergeant Fred Lomano, of Timaru, said police were investigating the burglaries, which appeared to have taken place between 1am and 3am.

Kevin Leary said thieves broke the lock on his shop, Sportcheck. They smashed open a glass cabinet and took Oakley sunglasses with a retail value of $3373.20. The burglars also took 16 pairs of Asics shoes, a cricket helmet and three cricket bats, which were later found on the street.

JACK MONTGOMERIE/FAIRFAX NZ FitBiz Timaru manager Claire McRae holds part of the door thieves broke at the Stafford St shop early on Saturday morning.

Stephen Brown said the thieves appeared to have then used the bats to smash the door of his shop, Ron Brown Jewellers, but failed to get inside. They then smashed in the glass door of Computer Shop Timaru 2000, taking several laptops, Brown said.

Although he was relieved nothing was taken from his shop, "the damage, cost and inconvenience" the thieves had caused annoyed him, Brown said.

He had not yet reviewed the footage from security cameras in his shop.

At FitBiz on lower Stafford St, manager Claire McRae was mystified. The thieves appeared to have taken only a kettlebell weight and a dumbbell set after breaking the door. They left thousands of dollars worth of exercise equipment untouched.

"It seems weird to me. I personally think somebody's surpised them."

A police officer visited the crime scenes on Saturday morning.

Lomano said the thieves had also tried to enter another lifestyle shop on the street.

Although surveillance cameras operate on Stafford St, Lomano said the cameras' points of view meant no footage of the burglaries themselves was captured.

However, a maroon Subaru Legacy recorded driving north onto the Bay Hill Rd about the estimated time of the burglaries was not recorded driving back again.

Lomano said that could indicate the car went the wrong way up the one-way end of the tapering road to get onto Evans St.

Police wanted anyone with any information about the burglaries to contact them.