I shopped at Auchan, which I call the 'Costco of France.' From home decor to aisles just for yogurt, here's what it's like.

Of course, you'd expect to find wine at a French grocery store, but nothing can prepare you for the sheer amount of it at Auchan. Like Costco, this chain's alcohol section is filled with options. 

There are aisles of only reds, only whites, and only rosés and areas for boxed and local wines. I've also seen wines that come in giant plastic barrels for only $5.

There are some Italian and Spanish wines, but most of the selection is French, categorized by region. Per the local rule of thumb, I buy rosé from Bandol and white from Cassis.

Similar to the American warehouse, Auchan's refrigerated section features several different yogurt brands and types.

Enormous cases of yogurt are stocked by their type: plain, Greek, mixed and unmixed fruit, sheep, goat, soy, probiotic, and vegetarian. There's even a small section for diet yogurt, although I've never seen anyone so much as glance in its direction.

Toward the middle of the store, there's an international section, which includes some American-inspired items. Most of the time, I see food I've never come across in US grocery stores.

This time, I found gems like Wild West beef jerky, Classic Foods microwavable popcorn, and large jars of something called American sauce. According to its packaging, it's a creamy tomato-seafood condiment.

However, I was happy to find a familiar favorite on a recent visit, a single box of Annie's mac and cheese.

The "ethnic" section of the store also had an Old El Paso French taco kit, which came in mild, extra-mild, and teriyaki flavors.

Like Costco, Auchan has a great selection of produce. However, the process of buying the goods is quite different than in American stores.

If there's one thing you learn shopping at French grocery stores, it's to never bring your fruits and vegetables to the cashier without weighing and pricing them yourself first.

Doing so will inevitably earn you the walk of shame back to the produce aisle, hounded by the disapproving mutterings of fellow shoppers.

Instead, shoppers must plop their bag of produce on the nearest working scale, do their best to identify the correct item on the touchscreen, and place the sticker the machine spits out on the bag. It's important to be quick, as lines form quickly in the produce section.

The meat section contains a multitude of animal products, including chicken, quail, duck, and rabbit. A large bin marked "abats" contains hearts, brains, or tongues of almost any game you can imagine.

Auchan's meat section also has an area for horse meat, which is still eaten in this part of France. Shoppers can buy steaks or sausage patties labeled "El Guacho."

Though there are lots of options to choose from, I usually buy a rotisserie chicken.

Auchan also has a massive cheese selection. You'll find your typical Brie and cheddar, as well as cheese made in France.

The boulangerie, or bakery, also has some pretty good sandwiches. However, I've found that tracking an employee down to take your order can be a challenge. 

Like Costco, Auchan also makes some of its bakery items in-house.

In addition to the food, Auchan also has a pharmacy, which stocks local Marseillais soap and donkey-milk lotions.

Other aisles carry home goods. So far, I've bought a vacuum cleaner, a suitcase, a beautiful ficus tree, a Bluetooth headset, and underwear.

This week, my husband brought home a small keg of Belgian beer and a pair of inflatable pool floats.

US Costco locations usually offer a traditional checkout option with a cashier as well as a self-checkout option before you exit the store. Though Auchan also gives customers a couple of options, the self-scanning process is a bit different.

Auchan is one of several big-box chains with a self-scanning process. In this system, customers pick up a portable scanner when they enter the store and scan in their items as they add them to their carts.

Still, shoppers have to pass a final cashier boss on their way out. In my experience, this person may insist you remove every item from your cart to re-scan before they let you leave.

Given the circumstances, I usually prefer the classic checkout line, where the wait may be longer, but there's less opportunity for failure.

Shopping at Auchan isn't quite the romantic image of Southern French life but I've come to appreciate both the convenience and quirks of the hypermarket.

The massive and modern may not be exactly like Costco but its variety of groceries transports me to the American warehouse each time I enter Auchan.