This Palestinean moved to Australia at 17 with dreams of becoming a pilot. When he got up in the air, he realised his dream had changed. He spoke to Dateline about his Instagram famous shop, which regularly makes news headlines.
At the heart of Hazem Sedda’s business – which he calls, “the greatest Redfern convenience store on Earth” – is a deep sense of community.
So when the consumer challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic arose, Hazem put his best foot forward.
From runs on toilet paper to an insufficient supply of rapid antigen tests, Hazem said he has tried to put community over profit when offering goods during the pandemic. He went viral – and not for the first or last time – at the beginning of the pandemic for selling one pack of toilet paper for $3.50 and the second for $99 as a joke to deter panic buying.
“Also, I did give some away for free for those in the area that needed it,” he said.
During lockdowns, Hazem shifted to online orders, particularly for the nostalgic overseas candies and junk food that he is known well known for selling. Hazem was shipping treats all over Australia in an attempt to help people’s morale during the lockdowns, striving to get items shipped as soon as possible.
The latest COVID-19 venture has been procuring RATs for locals and beyond, updating his viral Instagram when a new shipment arrives. Again, he has made headlines.
Weathering COVID-19 has been the latest challenge for Hazem who grew up in a small Palestinean village and arrived in Australia when he was 17, more than 20-years ago.
Watch the episode by Emily Jane Smith on SBS Dateline.