Alexander Chichkin, having taken out a loan, opened his first store in 1888. It was the "Exemplary Dairy" at Petrovka, 17. Today, this building no longer exists, as between 1911 and 1914, a residential building was erected in its place according to the design of architect G. Gelrich in the then-popular neoclassical style.

From the very beginning, Chichkin paid attention to marketing. The store's facade was tiled with white tiles to emphasize compliance with hygiene standards and to instill trust in customers. He closely monitored the neatness and tidiness of his employees. Every evening, unsold milk was poured down the drain.

In Chichkin's stores, the cash register made its debut in Moscow, and the principle of a "single phone number" for dairy product delivery was implemented. After a call to the central station, employees from the nearest store would deliver goods to the home.

The opening of the store became Chichkin's life's work, not just a whim. He conveyed his principles through his business practices. The name of the firm "A.V. Chichkin" was written without a hard sign, which violated grammatical norms, but was used in advertising to emphasize a forward-looking vision. This attracted attention and made the name memorable.

Every morning, when the streetlights went out, mothers lined up for Chichkin's milk, which was considered the tastiest and freshest in the city. Once, I witnessed an amusing scene: a boy, unwilling to stay home with the nanny, asked his mother for milk. She tried to calm him down, reminding him that his sister was waiting at home, but eventually gave in and handed him a flask of milk. The boy happily soaked his bread in the milk, while his mother was pleased to have bought some for the stock.

Just as that boy enjoyed the milk, so did Alexander Vasilyevich draw energy from his success. His ambitions grew with every liter sold. He became wealthy and famous not only in Russia but also beyond its borders. Chichkin's first dairy factory became the best in Russia and the largest in Europe. The secret of his success lay in the combination of production, processing, and sale of milk in one hand. This ensured high organization, impeccable quality, and sound logistics, which proved to be a winning strategy.