Terrified shop staff barricaded their store as a gang armed with weapons - possibly including a machete - tried to force their way inside after smashing a car window.
The incident happened at the Co-op in Cropston Drive, Greenhill, Coalville, at about 7pm today.
Leicestershire Police are at the scene and still "trying to establish the full circumstances" of what happened.
A police spokeswoman said: "We were called at 7.09pm today. It was a report of public disorder at a premises in Cropstone Drive in Coalville.
"A group of people were reported to be involved and in possession of weapons.
"Damage to a car and a window at the premises were caused during the incident but there were no injuries reported.
"The suspects have let the scene and police remain at the scene carrying out inquiries and establishing the full circumstances of the incident."
A woman who lives nearby and contacted LeicestershireLive about the incident said: “There are about 12 police cars in the area.
"I went to the shop not long after it happened and the staff there were really shaken up, as well as the security guard who’s just there to make sure people are social distancing.
“There’s a white car outside the shop and its back window is smashed – I think the owner was just a customer at the shop.
“There’s also a mark on the glass of the front door where it’s been hit with a machete.
“A lady at the shop told me she managed to hold the door closed so they couldn’t get inside – she said she doesn’t know how she managed it and it must have just been the adrenaline.
“The shop was ram-raided not long ago when someone tried to steal the ATM but didn’t manage to get it.
“I’ve not seen anyone arrested yet – the police are just wandering around and talking to people in the area.
"I know the shop has CCTV so the cameras probably caught what happened.”
A spokesman from Central England Co-operative said: “We can confirm that an incident took place outside our Cropston Road Food Store, in Coalville, last night.
“The members of staff on duty in the store were not harmed.
“The store is open and we are giving our full support to the police as they conduct their investigation.”
Anyone with information about the incident can contact Leicestershire Police on 101.
