Thieves have smashed their way into a high-end Melbourne fashion store, stealing goods worth tens of thousands of dollars in a raid lasting only minutes.

Four men in a dark sedan drove up to Prada in Collins Street at about 4.30am (AEDT), forced open the security grille and smashed the front door with a sledgehammer, police said.

The men left the store up to three times to load up their car, dropping some goods on the footpath.

Dozens of bags and purses with an estimated value of many tens of thousands of dollars were taken, police said.

“It’s been fairly well planned,” Detective Leading Senior Constable Heath Biram told reporters.

“They were carrying literally everything that they can carry.”

Police want that man to contact them, saying the bags may contain evidence.

He could also face theft charges.A delivery truck driver who saw the theft and called police tried to block the sedan as it got away, but it drove around him and veered on to to the tram tracks.

Officer Biram said the car drove away with its headlights off.He said there was a fair amount of traffic in the area at the time and police are disappointed that more drivers have not come forward with information.

The thieves were wearing long-sleeved tops, pants and gloves and three wore fancy dress masks.

Police are considering whether the burglary is linked to similar thefts at Giorgio Armani and Chanel on the same strip last year.