I've been a loyal Magnit customer for a long time, but lately, I've been really disappointed with their sales. They used to be my go-to store, and it was super convenient because there weren't any other stores around. Plus, the prices were great, and the selection was top-notch.
However, over time, I started to notice that their quality has slipped. Maybe it's because some new competitors popped up in the area, but instead of stepping up their game, they just let their quality slide.
But hey, Magnit's always coming up with some crazy promotions and sales. I mean, who can forget those old sticker collections? They're still doing it now, and it's actually kind of fun. And of course, they've got their regular sales, like the one they're running right now on New Year's leftovers.
The thing is, their selection is really geared towards spring or Valentine's Day - all the shelves are stocked with flower-themed stuff. But amidst all the spring stuff, I did manage to find some New Year's leftovers. I spotted some racks with discounted New Year's items - it's mostly small stuff, but it's nice: cookie cutters, placemats, spatulas, whisks, and magnets.
Some of the items are pretty reasonably priced, but others are way overpriced - like this festive thermos. It's 1000 rubles, which is a bit steep for a small thermos that I don't even use that often.
There are tons of kitchen items shaped like Christmas trees. My wife's always on my case about prices, and this nice silicone mold costs almost 500 rubles, which is pretty steep for something so thin.
What caught my eye was this set of a whisk, spatula, and beater. It's super colorful and festive. I'd love to get it as a gift for myself, but it's not exactly a cohesive set - each item is sold separately and not super cheap if you buy all three.
I stumbled upon some quirky little things, like this Santa-shaped bottle stopper for 150 rubles. I also spotted this cute little lamp. I didn't check the price, but it was on display, so maybe it's not on sale.
Anyway, among the festive items, I didn't find anything that offered great value for money. Sure, it's nicely decorated and eye-catching, but the prices are way too high.
However, I did find a great selection of toys. I picked up a craft set for my daughter's birthday, and it was only 69 rubles. I also picked up a bunch of useless junk with my friend - flying ducks, jumping teeth, stress balls. It's not super necessary, but for 25-50 rubles, why not?
And now that spring is here, Magnit's got all the seasonal stuff out. That famous flower-shaped mug on the iPhone is everywhere. Who else hasn't gotten themselves a flower cup yet?
There's a ton of other dishes too, and most of them are priced pretty fairly. Some are even cheaper than Fix Price.
What I liked was how the dish towels were displayed - they matched the colors of the other items nearby. It created a really cozy little corner. Although now I see this color palette in a lot of stores.
Magnit's got a huge selection of products, but it's all the same stuff over and over again. It's hard to choose something to go with my tea or another snack. There's a lot to choose from, but I've already tried most of it and don't want to buy the same thing again.
I often grab a dessert with cookies and banana from them.
It's great that many stores now have self-service kiosks and in-store bakeries. The baked goods are delicious, but I'm not a fan of those open containers. How many people walk by, cough, sneeze, or just generally contaminate everything?
I also appreciate the app. You can get rewards, choose cashback for your favorite categories, and even track your order. The shipping is pretty fast, but sometimes it gets delayed, which is just frustrating. I like that my purchase history is saved, so I can easily pick from what I've already bought instead of searching through the catalog.
That's where the positives end. Now comes the not-so-great stuff. I won't rant about the high prices - they're everywhere. I won't complain about the missing or mismatched price tags. As a former Magnit employee, I can tell you that it's not necessarily a scam if the price tag is missing or different from the one on the kiosk. It just means the staff are overwhelmed and can't keep up with the thousands of price tags that come in every day.
I've had some issues with the prices not matching the ones on the product, and when I've asked the cashier to correct it, they've ended up paying the difference out of their own pocket. That's not cool, especially when it's not their fault. The management should either hire more staff to handle the till, or train the existing ones to be more efficient.
The produce section is a major letdown. I've never had a good experience buying onions from Magnit. They're always either rotten or soggy, and I end up having to dig through the whole bag to find a few decent ones. And don't even get me started on the garlic - it's always soft and sprouting.
The carrots are another story altogether. I used to buy the cheapest ones from Magnit and they were always fine. But lately, no matter how many I buy, I end up throwing half of them away because they're either rotten or mushy. And it's not just the delivery guys who are to blame - it's the store itself. I've personally gone to the store and seen the carrots that are on display, and they're all either bruised or damaged.
I've lost count of how many times I've bought a kilogram of carrots only to find that only a few of them are edible. It's not just a few bad apples - it's a systemic problem. Either the store is not checking the produce properly, or they're just not caring. Either way, it's not good enough.
I've included a photo of the carrots I bought last time, and you can see for yourself how bad they are. It's not just me - I've talked to other customers who have had the same experience. It's time for Magnit to step up their game and start selling decent produce.
I've had it with buying loose veggies from the store. From now on, I'm willing to pay a bit more for a decent pack. I wanted to roast a whole potato in the oven with some meat, but that didn't happen. The potatoes in the pack looked okay, but when I started cleaning them, I found a lot of rotten ones. I ended up cutting off the bad parts, but what was left was too small to serve as a separate dish. It was a shame, really.
I had to change my menu and make a kind of mash-up with the potatoes, meat, and some veggies to make it more filling. Luckily, we were celebrating with just our family, so I didn't have to face any guests with this subpar dish. But the magnetic seal on the pack really let me down. I don't think I'll be buying veggies from this store again.
So, I'm lowering my rating for this store. These veggies are only good for feeding pigs, and that's being kind to the poor animals. And to sell them for such a low price is just ridiculous!!!
So, I'd only recommend this store if it's the only one nearby and you have no other choice!!!
My review of Fiks Praise is here: Fiks Praise