I went to Costco for the first time. Here are 12 things that surprised me.

• I went to a Costco store for the first time. 
• I was impressed by the tidiness of the store, the prices at the food court, and the extensive range of goods.
• But the product samples were tiny and the store was hard to navigate. Here's what else surprised me.

Until recently, like many Brits, I had never set foot in a Costco. The discount retailer currently has just 29 stores in the UK, compared to 591 in the US and Puerto Rico and 107 in Canada.

Growing up, my parents weren't members, and because I don't own a car it never made sense for me to join myself.