It's difficult not to fall under the spell of Costco when you go shopping there, right?

All of a sudden, unwanted and seemingly unnecessary things like two dozen yellow legal pads or a 12-pound jug of mayo become, well, necessary. So yes, even though the average Costco shopping spree is roughly $150, it sure is easy to go over that amount. (And if you do shop there often, getting a credit card that earns bonus rewards at Costco makes sense.)

And when you compare that to the average Target checkout of one-third that amount, roughly $50, and you begin to see how unique Costco really is.

But that's just for starters. It turns out that Costco is a unicorn in many, many ways.

1. Chicken fever

How many of those delicious, succulent rotisserie chickens do you think Costco sells in a day?

1. 20,000

2. 79,000

3. 157,000

If you guessed the last one, you are correct. Costco sells more than 150,000 roasted chickens a day. And by the way, those chickens are only on the shelf for two hours; after that they are removed and used in other products like tacos or chicken salad.

2. Costco really, really does love to sell cheap hot dogs

Even the occasional Costco shopper knows that the hot dog and soda option at the Costco food court is one of the best deals around. How good? That $1.50 price has been in effect since 1985. And it works too. Costco sells roughly 120 million hot dogs a year, which is at least four times more than sold in all Major League Baseball stadiums combined.

3. Shop 'til you drop, literally

So yes, Costco sells all sorts of unique items, but did you know that it even sells caskets? Yep. The warehouse giant has a variety of casket options available, and delivery to mortuaries is also available.

4. Horse and buggies are welcome

In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where there is a large Amish population, the local Costco "decided to construct a livestock parking stall as a courtesy. There's a rail to tie the horses to, and a roof shields them from inclement weather." So even if you're loading purchases in a buggy rather than a minivan, Costco has you covered.

5. Costco also sells incredibly expensive diamond rings

On the other end of the spectrum from the horse-and-buggy parking lot is the jewelry section at Costco. Who buys expensive jewelry at Costco, you ask? Good question. People who need budgeting help? Maybe, or maybe not. But apparently someone loves their jewelry, as evidenced by the diamond ring it sells for a whopping $329,999.99.

6. Half of the cashews sold in the world are sold at Costco

Yes, you read that right. Costco sells a lot of cashews. More than anyone else. How? Costco works with independent cashew farmers in Africa to source its cashews, of which it sells more than $15 million of yearly.

7. Costco spends $0 on advertising

Costco does all of this, and a ton more, without spending a dime on traditional advertising. While it does send coupons to members, Costco spends absolutely nothing, zero, nada on advertising to the general public.

Talk about a great business model.

So go ahead and check it out the next time you are shopping at Costco. There are many unique finds to discover.

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7 Facts About Costco That Will Blow Your Mind was originally published by The Motley Fool