12-07-2025
'I'm taking kids' pocket money off them and they're made up'
A tiny convenience store in Anfield has developed a cult following among local school children after a series of funny TikTok videos went viral on the social media site. One Stop Express News on Oakfield Road in L4 has a loyal customer base of young fans who started frequenting the shop after spotting the videos online.
The store, which sells a range of American sweets and crisps, has a TikTok channel where the staff member, 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.
Hussein, 26, from Toxteth, said parents have started driving their children to visit his shop from miles away and ask staff to include their kids in his viral videos.
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The store, which is owned by Mohammed Altairy, 44, has only been open since April, marking its first day of trading on the day Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at home to clinch Premier League victory.
Speaking to the ECHO about the overnight success of his store, 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.
He said: "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."
But despite opening on such a busy day for L4, and being located just a short walk from Anfield Stadium, it's Hussein's TikTok videos that have really helped the store establish itself as a destination for keen customers.
Hussein said: "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."
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.
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."
One Stop Express News on Oakfield Road is open seven days a week, from 4am until 12am on Mondays to Saturdays, and from 5am until 11pm on Sundays.
