You're low on cash in Los Santos. It happens to the best of us. Maybe you just blew your last few thousand dollars on a chrome paint job for a car you're probably going to wreck in five minutes, or perhaps you're just starting out in GTA Online and need enough scratch to buy a half-decent pistol. Learning how to rob a shop in GTA 5 is basically a rite of passage. It’s the bread and butter of the criminal underworld in Rockstar’s sprawling epic.
Most players think it’s just about walking in and waving a gun around. Sure, that works. But if you want to actually make money without ending up in a body bag or behind bars every single time, there’s a bit of a craft to it.
The Basic Mechanics of How to Rob a Shop in GTA 5
Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way first. You can’t rob every building you see. You're looking for the 24/7 stores, LTD Gasoline stations, and Rob's Liquor locations scattered across the map. Look for the little shopping bag icons on your radar. If it's not on the map, you probably can't kick the door down and demand the register contents.
Walking into a store is the easy part. Once you're inside, you need to pull out a weapon. Any weapon works, really. Even a knife will get the clerk's attention, though a shotgun usually gets them moving a lot faster. Aim your weapon at the shopkeeper. You’ll see a "Intimidation" bar appear on the bottom of the screen.
Keep that gun pointed.
The clerk will start emptying the register into a plastic bag. If you’re playing GTA Online, they might be a bit more stubborn than in the single-player story mode. They’ll fumble. They’ll shake. They’ll take their sweet time. If the bar isn't moving fast enough for your liking, you can actually shout into your headset (in Online mode) or fire shots near the clerk—not * at* them, unless you want a much harder time—to scare them into moving quicker.
Why You Shouldn't Kill the Clerk
Here is the thing. A lot of players just blast the cashier the second the bag hits the counter. Or worse, they kill them before the bag is even ready.
If you kill the clerk before they finish, you have to walk around the counter and manually rob the register. You’ll get less money. Plus, the second you fire a lethal shot, your wanted level jumps. If you let them live, you might only walk away with two stars. Kill them? You're looking at a three-star pursuit immediately. It’s just bad business. Honestly, the extra $200 isn't worth the headache of a police helicopter hovering over your getaway car.
Choosing the Right Store for the Job
Not all shops are created equal. Some are tucked away in narrow alleys where a getaway is a nightmare. Others are right next to police stations.
If you are looking for the best spots for how to rob a shop in GTA 5, stick to the outskirts of the city or the long stretches of highway in Blaine County. The LTD Gasoline on Grapeseed Main Street is a classic. It’s wide open. You have a clear line of sight to the highway. You can be gone before the first patrol car even clears the horizon.
Contrast that with the stores in downtown Los Santos. The traffic is a nightmare. You pull out of the parking lot and immediately slam into a Bus, giving the LSPD enough time to pit-maneuver you into a wall.
- Sandy Shores: Great for quick exits into the desert.
- Senora Freeway: Easy access to high speeds.
- Vespucci Canals: High risk due to tight corners.
The Getaway Strategy
The robbery is only 10% of the work. The getaway is the other 90%.
Before you even step foot inside, park your car facing the exit. Don’t leave the door locked if you’re playing with a crew. Have the engine running. If you’re playing as Franklin in the story mode, you have a massive advantage because of his special driving ability. You can weave through traffic like a ghost.
In GTA Online, you’ll want a vehicle with decent acceleration. A Sultan or a Bati 801 motorbike are perfect for this. Bikes are great because you can zip through narrow gaps that a police cruiser can't fit through. However, one wrong move and you’re flying through the air while the cops fill you with lead. It’s a trade-off.
Once you’re out, don’t just drive in a straight line. The LSPD isn't exactly brilliant, but they know how to follow a road. Get off the main path. Find a construction site, a tunnel, or a bush in the hills. If you can break the line of sight, your stars will start to flash. That’s your cue to stay still. Don’t move. Don’t shoot. Just wait it out.
Using Los Santos Customs
If you’re really in a bind and the cops are right on your tail, try to find a Los Santos Customs. You can’t enter if the cops actually see you going in, but if you have a bit of distance, you can drive in, get a cheap respray, and your wanted level vanishes instantly. It’s a bit of a "cheat code" feel, but it works every time. Just make sure you have enough money from the robbery to pay for the paint job, otherwise, you're just stuck in a garage with a bunch of angry mechanics.
Maximizing Your Take
You want more money? There’s a trick. Some stores have two registers.
Most people grab the bag the clerk throws and run. Look around. If there’s a second till, shoot it. It’ll pop open and spit out a few extra bundles of cash. It’s not a fortune, but in the early game, every dollar counts.
Also, keep an eye on the shopkeeper after you take the money. As you're backing out of the store—and you should always back out so you can keep your gun on them—some clerks will pull a shotgun from under the counter. If you see them reaching, that's the only time you should really consider opening fire. Or, you know, just run faster.
The Risks of Constant Robberies
You can't just hit the same store over and over again. If you rob a store, it will close down for a while. The clerk needs time to... recover from the trauma, I guess. If you keep hitting stores in the same area, the police response becomes faster.
In GTA Online, there’s also the "Bad Sport" mechanic to consider if you're being a general nuisance, though robbing NPCs usually doesn't trigger this. The real risk is other players. A store robbery displays a notification on the map for nearby players in some sessions. You might walk out of the store with your $1,200 only to get sniped by a guy on an Oppressor MK II who just wants to ruin your day.
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Moving Beyond Simple Shop Robberies
Once you’ve mastered how to rob a shop in GTA 5, you’ll realize it’s small fry. It’s great for a quick fix, but it’s not how you buy a yacht.
Use the money you make from these small-time hold-ups to invest in better gear. Buy an Armored Kuruma. It’s basically a cheat code for missions and robberies because it’s almost entirely bulletproof. From there, start looking into VIP work or saving up for a high-end apartment so you can start planning actual Heists.
Heists are where the real money is. We're talking millions instead of hundreds. But everyone starts somewhere, and there's a certain classic thrill to holding up a liquor store in the middle of the night while the rain pours down on the neon lights of Los Santos.
Actionable Next Steps
- Scope the Map: Identify three stores in the northern part of the map (Blaine County) that are close to dirt paths or hills.
- Get a Getaway Bike: Steal or buy a Pegassi Bati 801. It’s cheap and the best tool for losing a two-star wanted level in the alleys.
- Practice the Back-Out: Next time you rob a store, don't turn your back on the clerk. Walk out backward while aiming. It prevents them from shooting you in the spine as you leave.
- Check for Two Tills: Always look for that second cash register to maximize your profit per run.
- Save for an Office: Use your robbery money to jumpstart your career as a CEO, which opens up much more lucrative (and legal-ish) ways to make bank.