The neighbour, who asked not to be named, said the man injured during the robbery was sitting on the veranda attached to the busy shop in Gordon Rd for about half an hour after police and St John arrived about 8.30pm.
He appeared to have a bandaged wound on his head but there were no other apparent injuries, the neighbour said.
The Otago Daily Times understands the worker was stabbed in the course of a robbery.
Yesterday, police appealed for witnesses and thanked members of the public who came to the victim’s aid before the ambulance arrived.
The victim had been assaulted and sustained serious injuries during the robbery.
A tall man of slight build was seen leaving the area in a white vehicle, heading towards the Southern Motorway, State Highway1, at speed, police said.
Yesterday, police tape and two police cars remained at the scene when the ODT arrived about 9am.
The open sign remained on in the shop.
Police had remained at the scene overnight, the neighbour said.
Officers interviewed onlookers who formed a crowd outside the shop on Thursday night as the scene unfolded.
People were in the store at the time of the robbery, he said.
The assailant was briefly chased down adjacent Bruce St before he got into a waiting Subaru, he said.
One neighbour expressed shock when she heard about the incident yesterday.
"That’s so sad," she said.
A Givealittle page set up for the victim by another neighbour collected more than $1700 in seven hours yesterday.
