This Chizhik Moscow guide covers a hard-discount grocery chain that opened its first stores in 2020 and has grown quickly, with 172 stores in Moscow by late 2025. It belongs to the X5 group, which also runs Pyaterochka and Perekrestok, and its idea is a small range of everyday food at low prices, with much of it sold under its own label.
For a visitor, Chizhik is a cheap place to buy water, bread, dairy, snacks and basics, mostly in residential districts. The stores are small, clean and simple, and the signs and labels are in Russian, so this page explains what the stores sell, how to find one, and what to know about payment before you go in.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Чижик |
|---|---|
| Address | Molodtsova Street 2a, Moscow (the store announced as the chain's 3,000th and its 172nd in Moscow; the chain has no single flagship) |
| Opening hours | Typical hours for the chain were not found on the official sources checked, and they vary by location (as of October 2026 – check the official site). |
| Best time to visit | Mornings and the middle of the day are the calmest; the early evening after work and weekend afternoons are the busiest. Typical hours were not found on the official sources checked, so check the hours of the store you plan to use, and buy any alcohol before the evening cut-off. |
| Recommended duration | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Website | chizhik.club |
| Last updated | October 8, 2026 |
Why Visit Chizhik?
Chizhik is built around low prices. The first stores sold about 800 everyday products, and a store opened in 2025 stocked roughly 1,000 items, with more than half under the chain’s own label, so the range is short and plain but covers the usual daily food. That makes it a cheap source of water, bread, dairy, biscuits and basics, for example for a picnic or an apartment stay.
The chain is also a window onto how many Russians shop now, in compact, modern and clean stores of about 250 to 300 square meters or more, with its own-label goods tested by customers before they reach the shelves. It is common in Moscow, but mostly outside the very center, so it works best if you stay in a residential district.
Highlights of Chizhik
Own-label groceries
The chain's range is dominated by private labels: the first stores aimed for about 60 percent of the offer under its own brands, and a 2025 store was reported to stock more than 550 own-label items out of about 1,000. They are plain-packaged biscuits, pasta, tea, canned goods and similar items, usually the cheapest on the shelf. Check the dates and ingredient lists, which are in Russian, and compare the price per kilogram on the label.
Tip: Choose the plain own-label packs for the best value and use a translation app for the label.
Bread and dairy basics
Stores carry bread, rolls, kefir and other dairy, cheese, sausages and eggs, enough for a simple breakfast. The choice is smaller than in a full supermarket, with the most popular items only. Check the printed dates, which are in the day-month-year order, and keep chilled items cool if you carry them for the day.
Tip: A small bottle of kefir is a cheap way to try a common local drink.
Snacks and sweets
Shelves of biscuits, chocolates, nuts, crisps and sweets are good for a picnic or a light gift, and Russian chocolates and biscuits are cheaper here than in souvenir shops. The range is narrow compared with a hypermarket, so you will see fewer brands. Check that packaging is sealed and the date is clear.
Tip: Buy sweets as gifts here, but pack them carefully since the wrappers are thin.
Water and drinks
Bottled still and sparkling water, juices, soft drinks, tea and coffee are on the shelves, at lower prices than at kiosks near the main sights. Water is the most useful buy before a long walking day. Check the label for the word for sparkling if you want still water.
Tip: Buy water in the evening for the next day, since the shop may close early.
Fruit, vegetables and fresh basics
Most stores sell a small selection of fruit and vegetables, either packaged or by weight, and some chilled fresh items. It is enough for a snack or a simple meal, but the range is limited compared with a supermarket. Wash fruit before eating, and check weighing procedures, since in many stores you weigh and label produce before the till.
Tip: Weigh produce first if the sign says so, or the cashier may send you back.
A short list, quick visit
Chizhik stores are designed for fast shopping, with a compact floor of 250 to 300 square meters or more and a limited range. This means a visit is short and the choice is easy, but you will not find specialty items. If you need ready meals, cosmetics or a wide range, use a larger supermarket instead.
Tip: Use Chizhik for basics and a larger supermarket for anything special.
Atmosphere
A Chizhik store is small, bright and plain: short aisles, simple shelving, stacked pallets and a bold, simple look instead of fancy displays. The mood is quick and practical, with locals stopping for basics on the way home and moving through with baskets.
The busiest hours are the early evening after work and weekend afternoons, while mornings and the middle of the day are calmer. Signs and labels are in Russian only, so a translation app helps, and staff rarely speak English. Stores are mostly on residential streets, so you may not see one in the tourist center.
History of Chizhik
The Chizhik brand was launched by the X5 group in late October 2020, when the first two stores opened in Moscow, on Dolgoprudnaya Street, and in Balashikha in the Moscow region. Each had about 250 square meters of selling space and around 800 everyday products, with a plan for about 60 percent of the offer to be private-label goods and a motto of low prices every day. The name Chizhik is the Russian word for a small finch.
The chain grew quickly: the company planned about 45 stores by the end of 2021 and later set targets of more than 1,500 stores in 2023, and by the end of 2022 it had more than 500 stores in eight regions. In 2023 it opened its first stores in Tatarstan, and in August 2024 the group opened a distribution centre in Padikovo in the Moscow Region to supply Chizhik stores in the Moscow, Tula, Ryazan and Kaluga regions. By the end of July 2024 the chain had 1,852 stores in 44 regions.
In April 2025 the 2,500th store opened in Tyumen, with about 1,000 products of which more than 550 were exclusive private labels. In October 2025 the chain marked five years since its first store, and in November 2025 it announced its 3,000th store at 2a Molodtsova Street in Moscow, the 172nd in the city. Store numbers change quickly, so check the official site for current figures.
Tickets and Booking for Chizhik
Payment. Cash in rubles is the safe option. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia, and whether another card works depends on the issuer, so check this before you travel; your country’s sanctions rules may also restrict some payment services, and you must check this yourself. Russian Mir cards and local apps are common but are not for foreign visitors in general.
At the till. Stores have staffed tills, and some may have self-service machines with a Russian interface, which was not verified. Carrier bags are usually sold at the till, so bring your own bag.
Alcohol. The group’s logistics for Chizhik include alcohol, so stores may sell it, and shops in Russia are reported not to sell alcohol between 23:00 and 08:00; check the current rules and the store.
Finding a store. Use the store locator on the official site chizhik.club or the app, both in Russian, or search a map app for the brand name.
How to Get to Chizhik
Chizhik is a chain, so there is no single address. Stores are mostly in residential districts of Moscow, and the chain had 172 stores in the city by late November 2025, including one at 2a Molodtsova Street; the very center around Red Square has few of them.
- Find the nearest store: use the locator on the official site or the app, or search a map service for the brand name.
- Near hotels: ask the reception for the nearest branch, which is often a few minutes on foot in a residential district.
- Compare: the neighborhood chains Pyaterochka and Perekrestok have more central stores.
Accessibility
Stores are compact modern units of about 250 to 300 square meters or more, with baskets and narrow aisles, and some may have steps at the door. Layouts vary by location and accessibility is not uniform across the chain, so check a specific store or ask on the spot if you need step-free access.
Food Nearby
The chain is itself a source of picnic food: bread, dairy, sausages, snacks and drinks. Near most stores you will find small cafes and bakeries typical of the district; for sit-down Russian dishes see the Moscow Food Tour: Russian Cuisine and Local Specialties itinerary, and for ready meals see the VkusVill guide.
What to Bring
Bring cash in rubles, your own bag and a phone with a translation app for labels. Keep your valuables close in the crowded evening hours, and carry a small cooler bag if you buy dairy for the day.
Photography Rules
Taking photographs of the shelves for yourself is generally fine, but do not photograph staff or other customers, and follow any signs in the store. Flash and tripods are not appropriate in a small shop, and staff may ask you to stop.
Family Suitability
Suitable for families as a cheap stop for water, snacks and basics. Stores are compact, so strollers can be awkward in busy hours, and the tills can be busy in the evening. Check the dates on dairy and baby items.
Moscow Vibes Tips
- Look for the plain own-label packs, which the chain says it tests with customers before they reach the shelves, and compare the price per kilogram.
- Check the day-month-year dates on dairy and bread, since the printed date is often the last day for sale.
- Use the locator before you plan around a branch, since stores are mostly in residential districts and few are in the center.
- Buy water and snacks here before a long day, since kiosks near the sights charge more.
- Use a larger supermarket for ready meals and a wide range, since the range here is short.
- Carry small bills and your own bag, since bags are sold separately.
Where to Find Chizhik in Moscow
Chizhik has branches across the city, so there is no single address to list. To find the closest one, search on Yandex Maps or Google Maps from your hotel or metro station.
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FAQ: Chizhik
What is a hard discounter?
A small, plain store with a short range, mostly own-label goods and the lowest prices; Chizhik is the group's format of this kind, next to Pyaterochka and Perekrestok.
Can I pay with a foreign card?
Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia, so carry cash in rubles; see the payment section for sanctions rules and other options.
Is Chizhik common in central Moscow?
It has many stores in Moscow, but mostly in residential districts and fewer in the center; use the locator before you plan around a branch.
What are the opening hours?
Typical hours were not found on the official sources checked and vary by store; check the store you plan to use.
Can I buy alcohol there?
The group's logistics for the chain include alcohol, so some stores may sell it, but shops are reported not to sell alcohol between 23:00 and 08:00; check the current rules.
Do the staff speak English?
Rarely, and the signs are in Russian, so use a translation app and point to items.
Is Chizhik cheaper than Pyaterochka?
It is positioned as a cheaper hard-discount format with a shorter range, but prices were not compared; see the Pyaterochka guide.
Does the store have ready meals?
The range is basic, and ready meals were not verified; for ready meals see the VkusVill guide.
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Last updated: October 8, 2026.
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