Sonic Rendezvous Music store owner Robert MacManus opens up after massive burglary

Traders in Melbourne’s north are being targeted by aggressive thieves — some who are highly organised — with one store owner revealing he was battling severe stress after a $25,000 robbery.

A Northcote music store owner was robbed of $25,000 worth of equipment as thieves run rampant across parts of Melbourne with new data revealing a significant retail theft spike across the northern suburbs.

Recent Crime Statistics Agency data found that the City of Darebin experienced a 46 per cent surge in retail theft, recording its highest number of offences in seven years.

Darebin had the most amount of retail theft offences outside of the City of Melbourne and Greater Geelong.

It comes as Victoria recorded 29,745 retail theft offences in the past year which was a 34 per cent increase on 2023, with the most common items stolen being cash, cigarettes and personal property.

Robert MacManus’ newly opened store Sonic Rendezvous Music on High St, Northcote was one of the hardest hit Darebin businesses last year, losing about $25,000 worth of guitars in a massive burglary.

Mr MacManus said the impact on his mental health has been severe, resulting in many nights “lying awake thinking about it”.

“Definitely since that robbery it’s made me a lot more fragile and nervous that it could potentially happen again,” he said.

“There’s the financial aspect but there’s also the psychological part of it all.

“You’re constantly in fear and always thinking that I’ve lost these guitars and should’ve done something, I’ve had many sleepless nights thinking about it.

“Getting robbed on that level and losing so much was a big wake up call. Maybe I was a bit naive and too trusting, but that robbery took away any trust I have in humanity now.”

Preston had the most retail theft offences with 733 — up from 598 in 2023 — while the figures for Reservoir and Northcote doubled in the past 12 months.

Sonic Rendezvous Music store owner Robert MacManus said the massive theft at his store had a significant impact on his mental health. Picture: Supplied

Mr MacManus said the area’s surge in popularity has resulted in it becoming a “magnet” for theft.

Northcote Theatre general manager Andrew Mansfield said one of the most common items stolen from hospitality venues were empty beer kegs off the street.

“There’s been a rise in what would seem to be organised groups thieving these empty beer kegs going on,” he said.

“They used to be placed outside for the breweries to collect but now there are trucks thieving them in the middle of the night.”

Darebin has recorded a significant spike in retail theft in this past year Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The City of Melbourne recorded a 52 per cent increase in retail thefts, with Monash in Melbourne’s southeast also experiencing a 45 per cent rise.

Earlier this year Victoria Police released an extensive “theft prevention checklist” for businesses that included “watching for suspicious behaviour” and “securing cash handling and stock control.”

Australia Retail Association chief executive Paul Zahra said retail crime had a “profound” impact on staff and customers.

“Unfortunately, we’re continuing to see an increase in retail crime and aggressive behaviour across the country, with a spike in incidents impacting retailers in Victoria in recent months,” he said.

“Small businesses are particularly at-risk, with opportunistic offenders choosing to target more vulnerable traders. However, this is a widespread issue affecting the entire sector, causing emotional and financial harm to victims.

“The ARA is continuing to advocate for state and territory governments to pass laws that help our sector maintain safe retail environments for customers and retail workers alike.”