The store in the series is based on the Toronto outlet of the now defunct Simpson's department store chain, a major Canadian retail business that was ultimately purchased and subsumed by the Hudson's Bay Company. In addition, many scenes were filmed on location in that store.
The premise may have been inspired by The After Hours (1960), written by Rod Serling, where mannequins come to life after hours and rule a department store at night.
Taking off Jeff's hat turns him into an inanimate mannequin. This may be inspired by a moment in the popular French play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, where removing Lucky's hat turns him from a chattering madman into a mute idiot.
Taking off Jeff's hat turns him into an inanimate mannequin. This may be inspired by Frosty the Snowman. When Frosty's hat was removed, he reverted back to a regular snowman.