Police are on the hunt for a machete-wielding bottle shop thief who apologised to his victims during the scary incident, saying "I'm sorry, I broke up with my girlfriend".

The man attempted to hold up the Keilor East business in the lead-up to Christmas.

But things did not go quite to plan. After some quick thinking by the mother-and-son duo minding the store, he left with just a packet of cigarettes.

The thief entered the Bottlemart Cellars on Centreway just after 7pm on December 15 wearing a black balaclava and hoodie, demanding cash and cigarettes.