The short answer
A dark store is a small warehouse laid out like a shop but closed to customers: pickers assemble app orders and couriers take them to nearby homes. In Russia this is a mass habit. According to INFOLine, online grocery sales reached 1.625 trillion roubles in 2025, up 27% on the year. Samokat and Yandex Lavka lead by number of dark stores.
Who runs them
INFOLine names Samokat and Yandex Lavka as the leaders by number of dark stores. In January–September 2025 Samokat added about 150 sites and Yandex Lavka 91.
By turnover the 2025 ranking was X5 Digital (323.7 billion roubles), Samokat (279.3 billion) and VkusVill (221.1 billion). VkusVill remains the leader in dark stores among traditional supermarket chains.
Shops that also cook
Many dark stores now include a dark kitchen that prepares ready meals. By the end of September 2025 Yandex Lavka had more than 300 of them (in half of its dark stores) and VkusVill about 190.
INFOLine says ready meals and fresh food were the main growth drivers in 2025, especially in Moscow and other big cities. In the regions people more often order basic groceries.
The slowdown and the price
Growth slowed from 38.4% in 2024 to 27% in 2025. INFOLine links this to price-sensitive shoppers and a shortage of couriers and pickers, which pushed up wages and costs.
Some retailers now charge more online than in their stores and pass delivery costs to the customer, so ordering is not always cheaper than walking to the shop.
What it means for a newcomer
In a big Russian city you can live without a car and without long shopping trips: groceries, ready meals and household items come through an app. You will need a Russian phone number and a way to pay in roubles.
Delivery promises are measured in minutes, but the actual time depends on the district, the weather and how busy the couriers are.
What we can and cannot claim
- Confirmed: the 2025 market size, growth rate, leaders and dark-store figures published by INFOLine.
- Not claimed: a guaranteed 15-minute delivery. Times vary by district and load.
- Not claimed: that Russians have stopped going to shops. Supermarkets remain the main channel.