Shopping in Russia is an experience  if you are accustomed to self service shopping, having a large number of choices, and paying for the goods all in one action.  Most Russian stores are set up to confuse and confound the foreigner unless you are conversant in the Russian language.  The best prices on items you need in Russia are bought at Russian stores. 

The alternative is to use either a newly installed supermarket where the goods are mostly imported and cost 2-5 times as much as the Russian equivalent.  For example, a can of potato chips called Pringles costs a little over a dollar in the US.  In a Russian supermarket, the same item is over four dollars!

Another way to buy items is directly on the street in a "ree-nok"  (market) or outside the Metro stations.  These prices are also high as they are just reselling goods that were probably bought in a Russian store.

Getting back to the traditional way of buying requires that one first go to the section selling the goods and choose both the items, and then remember their prices and the amount to buy.  Then you must go to the cashier which is specific for the section and is usually some distance away and stand in line to pay.  If you can remember what it is you wanted, and how much it costs, you can pay and get a receipt for each item.  Then you take the receipts back to the counter where the goods are and wait to hand the clerk the proof of purchase.  The clerk asks you what it is for, and again you will need to remember what it is you wanted.  The clerk wraps up your purchases, tears the receipt partially and you are done.

An amusing story is the one of the foreigner who wanted milk.  He had some trouble asking for the milk, its quantity and the price.  He finally conluded this conversation and when he had the information, he went to pay where there was a large queue.  He got to the head of the line and finally remembered  how to say what he wanted and how much it costs.  He returned to the section where the milk was found and waited in this queue until he got to the front.  He presented his receipt to the clerk who replied, "Milk,? Sorry, we are all out of milk now!"