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When it comes to motivating employees, new research from the University of South Florida finds frontline workers, such as cashiers and retail clerks, value perks like food and outings far more than health benefits or gym memberships.

Co-authored by Dipayan Biswas, the USF Frank Harvey endowed professor of marketing in the Muma College of Business, the study examined five categories of company-sponsored wellness benefits—food, social, mindfulness, physical and health—to see which resonated most with customer-facing employees.

Turns out, free meals and events like happy hours or company picnics go a long way in inspiring workers to deliver better service.

Newly published in the Journal of Marketing Research, the found food and social programs helped employees feel more valued and develop a greater sense of loyalty to their employers. Those workers were more likely to care about their company's well-being and repay the investment with stronger performance, service quality and customer assistance. Better service, in turn, translated into higher sales.

"The recommendations for any business, small or large, is when you're having these wellness programs, the ones that foster nourishment and connection have stronger downstream effects on customer-related positive effect," Biswas said.

The research showed food had the biggest impact, followed by social gatherings. Mindfulness activities, such as a meditation room, also helped, while physical and health perks like gym memberships or flu-shot drives had the least effect.

The findings draw on five studies, including a sales study at a large European supermarket chain that showed wellness benefits tied to food, social interaction and mindfulness boosted annual sales.

Biswas said the idea grew out of the rising popularity of wellness programs. More than 90% of companies worldwide now offer them, with global spending projected to top $90 billion a year.

The results come from a range of approaches, including a pilot study, sales study, field studies and a meta-analysis.