The defendant appeared before the Dunedin District Court yesterday charged with using an ``imitation firearm'' to rob the shop of cigarettes on Tuesday.
The court documents did not detail how much he allegedly stole.
The man was also charged with unlawfully possessing ammunition for a .22 calibre firearm.
Police on Wednesday said a man entered the High St store, which also houses a liquor outlet, at 2.55pm wearing a dark jacket, with his face hidden by black cloth and sunglasses.
Detective Sergeant Hannah Booth, of Oamaru, said dog units attended the scene but did not immediately locate the offender.
She said the store's owners were left shaken by the ``incident'' but were unharmed.
Defence counsel Anne Stevens yesterday requested name suppression for her client, although the reasons cannot be detailed.
She made no bail application on his behalf and entered no plea to the charges.
The defendant was remanded in custody and will appear in court again next month.
