Jean-Pierre Palma had not long opened the Cowper Street Newsagency in Warrawong, and was filling the store's scratchies dispenser, when a man ran into the store.

The man, who had his face covered, threatened the 67-year-old shopkeeper and demanded he hand over money.

"It was still dark, 5 o'clock in the morning, and he [the intruder] just tried to jump the counter," Mr Palma's wife, Daniela, told the Illawarra Mercury.

Mrs Palma says he wouldn't have thought twice about protecting the store.

With little fear for his own safety, Mr Palma slapped the man in what would soon become a successful attempt to fend him off.

The bandit then ran from the store empty-handed.

"When he tried to jump the counter, Jean-Pierre obviously pushed him away and gave him a hand slap," Mrs Palma said.

"He said 'I don't know why I didn't punch him'."

The ordeal, which lasted only 20 seconds, was captured on the store's CCTV cameras.

Footage from one of those cameras was released by Lake Illawarra police on Thursday as part of a public appeal for information.

Mr Palma was left with a sore finger, but was otherwise uninjured.

"He's fine, he's pretty tough. That's just the way he is and he'll do anything to protect the shop," Mrs Palma said.

"He'll do anything to protect this shop, even though we don't own it any more he treats it just like it was his own."

The couple ran the newsagency until 2012 and have been helping the current owner - who was overseas at the time of the incident - operate the business.

Wednesday morning's attempted armed robbery wasn't the first the Palmas had experienced at the Cowper Street store.

In June, 2013, a man armed with a baseball bat walked into the newsagency and demanded money from both of them.

On that occasion the man lashed out with the bat, damaging items in the store before fleeing empty-handed.

In relation to this week's incident, investigators want to speak to a man described as being aged between 20 and 30, about 175-185cm tall, with a thin build and short light brown hair.

At the time he was wearing a black long-sleeved jumper, black tracksuit pants, possibly 'Everlast' brand, and shoes that are black, white, and grey in colour and appear to be 'Nike' branded.

Mrs Palma's message for the man was clear: "Hand yourself in".

"They must be very desperate to do things like this," she said.

"Most of the time they know they're not going to get away with it. There's CCTV we've got cameras everywhere.

"It's just not worth it. Please hand yourself in."

Anyone with information should call Lake Illawarra police on 4232 5599 or Crime Stoppers via 1800 333 000.

Illawarra Mercury.