Every year, Costco attracts droves of new members looking to score bargains on everything from personal care products and paper towels to fresh and frozen foods in bulk. Exclusive perks such as deeply discounted gasoline prices, deals on big-ticket electronics and appliances, and access to coveted Kirkland Signature store-branded items are among the major draws of membership to the warehouse club. While these incentives are, indeed, used to reward card-carrying Costco members, many of them are also designed to get shoppers to spend more.

We asked several shopping experts about the various strategies the warehouse club uses to entice members to shop more frequently and more impulsively, as well as which Costco perks tend to be the most problematic. The retail pros also offered advice on how to avoid these spending traps and more. Here's everything they had to say.

Those Free Food Samples Could Cost You

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Regardless of where you buy your groceries, don't shop on an empty stomach. When you're hungry, you are more likely to overbuy, says Trae Bodge, a smart shopping expert at . At Costco, that advice goes a long way. If you've ever shopped at the warehouse club during primetime on a weekend, you've noticed multiple free sample stations situated throughout food aisles. Members can load up on unlimited (yes, unlimited) samples