Robberies

This article is about player-committed store robberies.
For the Empire Building business in GTA Vice City Stories, see Robbery.
For the NPC event in GTA Online, see Random Event: Shop Robbery.
For the robberies introduced in The Chop Shop update for GTA Online, see Salvage Yard Robberies.

Storerobbery-GTAVC — Auto-aiming at a jewelry show attendant as he drops money on the counter in *GTA Vice City*.

Robbery is a feature in the Grand Theft Auto series which involves the theft of money from selected stores or businesses.

Description[]

Robbery of businesses have been a staple element of specific missions the series since the first game, but the ability to rob a business at any moment of the game was only introduced in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and resurfaces in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto V, and Grand Theft Auto Online.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]

In GTA Vice City, the player is able to rob fifteen various stores and shops around the city. The player must rob all 15 stores across the city in order to achieve 100% Completion.

To start a robbery, the player must enter a store and train any firearm targeting reticule on the cashier. When the player stops aiming at the clerk, he will sound the alarm and duck behind the counter, further intimidation yields no more money, but Ammu-Nation clerks will begin shooting at player. Continue aiming at the cashier until money appears on the counter, or, if the player is standing where the money is dropped, until the players cash count begins to increase. The amount of money the player receives and the wanted level attained depends on how long they persist holding the aim position on the cashier;

The first of four cash drops earns $50 and a delayed two-star wanted level.
The second cash drop earns an additional $100 (total $150) and an automatic two-star wanted level.
The third drop earns $250 (total $400) and an automatic three-star wanted level.
The fourth drop earns $600 (total $1000); wanted level remains at three stars.

The player can rob nearby shops to the same degree without increasing their wanted level. The player may choose whether or not to kill the clerk. The player can rank a single wanted star if he instantly kills the clerk with one shot after he drops the first bundle of cash. If he survives the player's threat or attack the alarm will instantly sound and the player will receive a minimum two-star wanted level, up to three stars max. The player may then take the cash and exit the store. The simple act of threatening the clerk until cash is dropped counts toward the 100% Completion required 15 robberies, even if the player leaves the money behind.

Locations[]

GTAVC Map Robbery — The locations of the robbable stores

Vice City Beach

Bunch of Tools, Washington Beach
The Jewelers, Vice Point, just North of Well Stacked Pizza
Corner Store, between El Swanko Casa and North Point Mall
Dispensary, Vice Point, just West from the Corner Store
Gash, North Point Mall (ground floor counter)
Tooled Up, ground floor of North Point Mall
Vinyl Countdown, upper level of North Point Mall
Family Jewels, ground floor of North Point Mall

Vice City Mainland

The Jewelers, Downtown, east of Well Stacked Pizza Co.
Dispensary, Downtown, just east from Rock City
Ryton Aide, Little Haiti
Brownstone Laundromat, Little Havana
Café Robina, Little Havana
Screw This, Little Havana
Calleggi Delicatessen Restaurant, Little Havana, North of Little Havana VCPD

Hint: it is possible to quickly progress, since three maximum stars are earned for any number of consecutive robberies, and Wanted Level stars are cleared after successful completion of Rampages. It is possible to combine robberies, such as inside the North Point Mall – Vinyl Countdown, Tooled Up, Zip and Family Jewels are easily robbed in one attempt and then commence the rampage just outside the east exit by running North across the street up the stairs to the spawning Body Armor in the shelter of the nearby corner wall.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]

In GTA Vice City Stories, the game's rendition of Vice City introduces a myriad of new businesses with interiors that can be entered and robbed. However, the mechanics of store robberies is modified, and as a result no longer requires the player aim their weapon at the clerk. Instead, the player has to destroy the properties inside a store (e.g. refrigerators, clothing racks, or electronic items) using any weapon until the clerk raises his hands and drops the cash onto the counter. The returns from basic store robberies are often very low (at least $100), and the clerk sometimes refuses to pay up even if the player destroys all the properties. When this happens, the player can opt to kill the clerk and/or destroy the cash registers to gain additional cash. Businesses that can be robbed in the game include the following:

Each property in the store requires two or three direct hits from any weapon to be destroyed. Shotguns, chainsaw, and explosives are an exception; these can destroy a single property in one hit, with explosives, such as grenades, being able to destroy all properties in the store with just a single throw.

While stores at the Vice Point Mall feature interiors and clerks, none of them can be robbed in a similar manner; even if the player kills the clerks, no cash will be dropped. Store robberies in the game are integrated into Empire Building's Protection Racket, which offers higher financial returns.

Grand Theft Auto IV[]

Storerobbery-GTA4 — The player having just robbed $22 from a laundromat's cash register in *GTA IV*.

Robberies in GTA IV are significantly simplified. Players no longer require to threaten or kill a storeowner, but simply walk up to their counter's cash register and open the tray to obtain their cash; as a repercussion, the player receives a one-star wanted level a few seconds after the robbery. Often times, the amount stolen may only range from a high of a couple hundred dollars to a low of nothing at all, making the business of robbing stores far less lucrative.

Stores that can be robbed in GTA IV include:

All TW@ outlets (at the eatery's counter);
Modo;
Laundromats; and
The Korean store damaged during "Bull in a China Shop", but only accessible through glitch or modifications.

Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online[]

Robbery-GTAV-Trevor — Trevor robbing a liquor store.

There are 20 convenience stores that the player can rob throughout San Andreas.

Players can hold up a convenience store by drawing and aiming a weapon at the shopkeeper to threaten him into emptying the cash register. He will put the money in a plastic bag which he will then throw over the counter for the player to pick up. The plastic bag will contain something between $1,000 and $3,000. Certain stores also have a second till that can be shot open for a modest sum of additional cash (less than 500$).

In GTA Online, robbing a store brings up an "intimidation" meter, which can be filled by either shooting up the products, or by verbally threatening the cashier through voice chat. The higher the intimidation gauge, the faster they will fill the bag. There is a chance that shopkeepers may be armed, and will defend their store at the first opportune occasion. If the shopkeeper hears that the player is using an empty gun to hold up the store, or when the player turns back to leave after the robbery, the shopkeeper may pull out a Pistol or a Shotgun and start shooting.

The player may also rob the tills themselves if they chose to do so, or should the shopkeeper become unable to empty the register. Although significantly quicker than holding up a store, the amount of stolen cash will be lower. The till can also be forcefully opened by shooting it, for again a lower amount of stolen cash.

Robbing a store will result in a one-star wanted level, which will escalate to two once the player exits the store with the cash in hand. In GTA Online, drawing a weapon inside the store will immediately cause a two-star wanted level. Shooting the shopkeeper may also result in an immediate two-star wanted level.

Causing other types of disturbances such as smashing windows and products with fists or melee weapons, or going into the backroom and ignoring the shopkeeper’s second warning (Grand Theft Auto V only) will cause a one-star wanted level. The shopkeeper may either angrily tell the player to leave the store, cower, flee, or attack the player with a Baseball Bat. Driving a vehicle inside the store will startle or anger the shopkeeper, but with no further consequences. As such, players can hold up stores in “drive-by”, but they will have to step off the vehicle to collect the cash.

After a store has been robbed, it will remain closed for a short time. The message "This store is closed" will also appear if the clerk has been spooked through other types of disturbance.

Random civilians in GTA Online can also intervene and attempt to stop the robbery, this happens by chance, depending on whether there are people in the store or walking past the door. They are most likely an off-duty police officer, as they can be heard saying "there goes my vacation".^[ref?]

The shopkeeper sometimes will refuse to hand over the money after being robbed several times, and will even pull out a gun, leaving the player no choice but to shoot the shopkeeper. Then the player can rob the till themselves by pressing right on the D-pad and shoot at the second till for some extra takings. If the player visits the same 24/7 branch they just robbed earlier, the shopkeeper (if spared during the first robbery) will recognise them and flee the premises. The player will get a one-star wanted level but is still able to steal the money from the tills.

If the player robs multiple stores in a short time, one after another, their wanted level will be higher after each robbery. The wanted level can go up to three, four and five if the player robs enough stores in one session without changing masks. Wearing a mask may or may not prevent the player from being recognized on future visits; when the clerk recognizes the protagonist that previously robbed the store upon entering, he will cower in fear while calling the cops, initiating a 1-Star wanted level. If the player wishes to visit a previously-robbed store and either buy items or rob it again, the previously-used protagonist has to kill the shopkeeper upon completion of the robbery to make sure that there are no loose ends. At which point the shopkeeper is killed following the robbery, a new one will take his place after the player either completes or replays a mission or saves the game by going to sleep.

Robbing all the stores earns the player the Stick Up Kid achievement/trophy and the Armed Robber award, with unlocks all variations of the "Clown with gun" back tattoo (award and tattoo progression incremented at 5, 10, 15 and 20 robberies).

The player can also hold up clothing shops and Tattoo Parlors by aiming any firearm at the cashier, but the cashier will instead take cover and lock the doors unless the player is inside. The player can break the counters using any firearm, earning between $50 and $200. These do not count towards the achievement.