I was a bit skeptical when I first heard about Yandex.Lavka, but after trying it out, I was pleasantly surprised. The 50% discount on my first order was a great incentive to give it a shot.
Getting started with Yandex.Lavka is pretty straightforward - you can access it through your browser, the Yandex GO app, or the Yandex Lavka app. I installed the latter for convenience.
The interface is standard online store fare, with sections for discounts, new arrivals, bestsellers, product catalog, and a personal account with order info and more. Let's take a look at the assortment - it's definitely worth checking out for yourself.
Along with products, there are sections for home and office supplies, cosmetics, and pet products. They've even got pet food, which is a nice touch.
One of the highlights is the enormous selection of ready-made meals, from baked goods to full-fledged dinner sets. I was impressed by the variety of options.
Even the coffee section is a delight, with all sorts of flavors and add-ins. They promise to deliver it hot, which is a nice touch.
I was blown away by the selection at Yandex Lava. When I spent some time browsing, I found all sorts of interesting and unique items. The cheese section is a must-see - you'll definitely want to buy something from there.
Twenty percent of their cheese selection is made up of hard, soft, and blue cheeses, and they even have multiple types of parmesan. Their selection is way better than what you'd find at a regular supermarket delivery service.
This is just a small sampling of their greens section. Salads are a breeze to make - you can get loose-leaf, pre-cut, or a mix in a box. I opted for fresh spinach, but it's clear they move quickly.
Vegetables and fruits are a highlight - from potatoes to exotic options. Even the tomatoes and cucumbers have a variety to choose from.
I went for cherry tomatoes on the vine - you'll see that below. For those who don't enjoy or have time to cook, I'd recommend checking out the pre-made dishes section - it's got everything you need.
There's also a section for rolls, but we've got more onigiri. Baked goods and sweets are also available in a big variety.
The eclairs are pretty nice, I've bought them at "Da" before. And the Napoleon 0-calorie, apparently, is like the one in Samokat, without sugar.
Everything's fine - as long as you pay. Where to Get the Best Deals: Discounts, Promo Codes, and Sales
The most obvious perk is a 50% discount on your first order - it's applied automatically.Here's how it looked on my end. The total amount is higher since they didn't include the current discounts on some of the items. Instead of 2300 rubles, I got it for 1040 rubles.
Let's move on. Yandex promo codes. I get them in my Yandex ID for using Yandex services: taking taxi rides, listening to music on Yandex Music, reading books on Yandex Books, watching series on Kinopoisk, and making purchases on Yandex Market, and so on. Plus, I can occasionally spin the wheel and get a bonus in the form of an increased cashback on an additional category, apart from the five I can choose for the month.
These promo codes are generous and fair - for example, 400-600 rubles off a purchase of 800 rubles or more. That's incredibly convenient!
Other services have been giving out promo codes for a long time, but you need to order something worth 1,500-2,000 rubles to get a discount of just 200-300 rubles. And that's not even enough to cover delivery costs.
I mostly just need to buy something extra (my top-priority 'yes' doesn't have delivery, unfortunately, so I often just walk there), rather than assembling a cart worth 2k, so I've been using many markets with delivery costs of 1.5-2k rubles for a long time.
Look, I added a promo code for 600 rubles to my discount on one order, and it worked! I ended up paying just 440 rubles instead of 2,350 rubles! I think that's a fantastic saving - here's what the items cost with all the discounts applied.
I was pleasantly surprised by the prices of the eggs and sugar - just 29 rubles and 26 rubles respectively. But the onion was a different story, costing just 1 ruble, and that's a conversation for later.
Using a Yandex card for payment can also help reduce the overall cost of your order. My second order with this store came with a discount of 87 rubles on top of the promo code.
The 'Deals' section in the store is a no-brainer. You can often find discounts on the products you regularly buy, so make sure to check it out.
The 'Last Day' section is another great place to find deals. They're selling off prepared food at a 25% discount, and you can spot these items in the feed with a little note.
By the way, don't overlook the 'big portions' label - it's a great value for money, as it's enough for two of us, including my son. So, if you have someone to share it with, it's definitely worth choosing this option - you can try more dishes that way.
The 'Combo' section might also interest fans of ready-to-eat food.
Delivery and Assembly
Let's start with delivery - it's incredibly fast, just like they promise. Nowadays, I see delivery couriers in blue jackets with matching bags more often on the streets.
Delivery is free! But don't take it for granted - for example, I have a Yandex Plus subscription, so it's free for me, but in other cases or regions, the conditions might be different.
Take note of the service assembly fee - it's an old Yandex practice, and I've seen it on Yandex Market too. Thankfully, it's not exorbitant.
I was blown away by how fast my order arrived - it was at my doorstep just 20 minutes after I placed it at 5:40 PM. That's a combination of super-fast processing and shipping. I even got push notifications about the status of my order, and I could track the courier's route and even contact them if needed.
As for the couriers, they're just regular people like anywhere else. It all depends on their personality and upbringing. I usually just thank them and grab my packages, but if there are any issues with the order, I always reach out to customer support - I've had problems with orders in other services before, but they always sorted it out for me.
You can tip the couriers immediately, but I think it's better to do it after the order is complete. That way, you'll see a pop-up with the option to leave a tip and rate your order.
You can also set up rounding for charity.
My Orders: How I Saved Money and Found the Minuses
My first order was a bit of a test run, and I needed a lot of products, so my cart was filled up quickly - I only picked what I needed.
As I mentioned earlier, I paid a total of 440 rubles.
Some of my packages:
The frozen veggies will come in a separate bag, just like usual.
I actually use those bags for trash or sorting recyclables - I collect them for items that can be repurposed.
So, the first order went almost perfectly. What threw me off, though:
The onion was huge, almost as big as a giant beet. And it looked a bit wilted, like it was slightly frozen - it was damp to the touch.
I ended up with these massive 4 onion bulbs... They're not going on salads unless I chop them up. I left them for soup and borscht. If they make it that far...
By the way, the carrots are also gigantic! But that's okay - I chop them into sticks and we snack on them all day.
The parsley was hopelessly wilted. It was in a bag with an open top. And it had already lost its fresh look...
I submerged the greens in water, and to my surprise, a few stems revived, but unfortunately, three of them turned yellow and wilted. It's clear that the base isn't maintaining the right temperature - it's too cold for the greens.
But the spinach was a total winner!
The fresh, firm, and young spinach was incredibly tender and delicious!
Carrots were a bit of an oddity - they were huge and rough to the touch. But inside, they were perfect and tasted amazing, already cooked and devoured.
On the other hand, the cabbage was tiny, but that's exactly what I needed - no leftovers to go bad in the fridge.
I've tried olives from this brand before, and they didn't disappoint - they're clean, tasty, and firm:
Everything else was on point too - delivery times were fine, and the product looked great.
SECOND ORDER - EVENING SHOPPING
I decided to quickly pick up some veggies and cottage cheese for pancakes, and I also threw in some other bits and bobs:
This order was a breeze - the fresh salad, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes were all great, except for the wilted lettuce leaves (either they'd been sitting around for a while or it was just too chilly), the cottage cheese and sour cream were fine, and I also grabbed some frozen pancakes - I used to order them in bulk from VkusVill, but these are just as tasty, especially in the fall!
With the 500 ruble discount from Yandex, the total came out to just 541 rubles instead of 1183 rubles!
Now, Let's Talk About the Downsides of Yandex Market
Overpriced! I was surprised to find that my regular products are 20-50 rubles more expensive here! And with weighty items, it's even harder to calculate the difference, but it's there.The problem with weighty items. If you can fit 300 grams in a pack of 5, then in Yandex Market, it's either 500 grams (most of the time), a kilo, or... one item).Frozen veggies and not always fresh greens.Unconditional Pluses:
Sometimes, the delivery speed is even faster than what's promised.The vast product selection – you'll find everything and more.The generous promo codes from Yandex – a real money-saver.The high-quality packaging – nothing's broken or leaked.The user-friendly app – easy to assemble your cart, place an order, and track delivery.I'd recommend keeping an eye on the storage of veggies/fruits and experimenting with more flexible packaging for weighty items.
My Verdict: 4 out of 5
I've gotta say, Яндекс Лавка has been a pleasant surprise - I've been ordering from them regularly while the promo codes last. Yeah, there are the occasional lousy veggies, like a monster onion or wilted parsley, but it's more than made up for by the speed, the wide selection, and the discounts.