The best retail experiences are a product of their settings. A happy shopping environment, after all, inspires a happy shopper.

A part of that reality is the physical space the customers occupy. And a part of it is the people they encounter therein.

Which is why the results of a recent study measuring the relative happiness levels of the staffers at the world’s big retailers are so relevant to the success the companies consequently achieve.

CareerBliss, an American job listings site, evaluated thousands of company reviews completed by employees who were invited to rate their employers according to various measures of workplace contentment.

Among others, the survey asked participants to consider work-life balance, compensation and benefits, workplace environment, the nature of the employee’s work, the employer’s company culture and management.

The resulting list is the 2014 collation of the happiest retailers to work for.

California discount apparel chain Ross Stores topped the heap. A massive retailer with more than 1,100 stores, the company was celebrated by staffers for a culture that “allows us to figure things out on our own” and that gives them “a great deal of independence at work.”

The entire list is as follows:

The 10 Happiest Retailers to Work for in 2014

1. Ross Stores
2. Costco
3. IKEA
4. Neiman Marcus
5. Apple Stores
6. Barnes & Noble
7. TJ Maxx
8. Verizon Wireless
9. Lowe’s
10. Nordstrom

“This holiday it is more than just the deals that may entice shoppers,” CareerBliss CEO Heidi Golledge declared upon the list’s release.

“Knowing you are shopping at a company that truly embodies the holiday spirit by treating their employees with respect and letting them feel some holiday cheer about their career makes shopping an even happier experience.”