Key Summary
- Anfield shop goes viral on TikTok for mystery sweet bag videos.
- Kids flock in with pocket money, asking “what can I get for a tenner?”
- US candy range adds to store’s cult appeal.
A convenience store in Anfield has developed an overnight cult following among local school children after a series of funny Tik Tok videos went viral on the social media site.
One Stop Express News on Oakfield Road in Anfield now has a loyal customer base of young fans who started frequenting the shop after spotting some videos online.
The store, which sells a range of American sweets and crisps, has a Tik Tok channel where the owner, Hussein Mussa, shares hilarious videos of his young customers walking into the shop and placing their pocket money on the counter, before asking him to pick them a mystery bag of goodies based on what they can afford.
The store, which is owned by Mohammed Altairy, has only been open since April. It is located just a short walk from Anfield Stadium.
Hussein's mystery bag videos have racked up hundreds of thousands of views online and all follow the same simple format.
A group of school children enter his store, place a stack of coins or bank notes on the counter and ask him "what can I get for a tenner" or another price point, depending on what their pooled pocked money will allow.
Speaking to a local media outlet, Hussein said, "Ever since we opened, I just joined TikTok and slowly it's been growing, and then it just hit everyone's For You Page. I've had people coming from Wirral, from Warrington and from Litherland."
The inspiration for the store's American candy range came from Hussein's time spent in America, which made him decide to bring the confectionary back to Anfield in order to provide his new customers with something different.
"I lived in American for a year because I have family there and I said 'I'm going to go back and do this American stuff and put it on TikTok.' It's just something good for the kids.
"It's something different for a change. When you go to your local shop it's always the same but this is different and there's variety.
"I think the videos help because a lot of people come in and say 'can I get on your TikTok?' The parents say 'can you put them in your videos?' and they watch all of them.
"It's a lot of local people and groups of kids who come after school. Probably the most popular thing we sell is the Laffy Taffy."
The videos have become something of a trend among his customers with one group of young shoppers even entering the store and asking "what can I get for a oner?" before slapping £100 on the counter.
Hussein said, "The kids watched the first video where someone came in with £10 and said 'what can I get' and then they all watched that and wanted to come down and do the same thing.
"It's just good vibes and I'm loving it."