A perfect storm of events may collude to sink that family bonding activity known as Black Friday. Black Friday has traditionally kicked off the Christmas buying season with “doorbusters” advertised by retailers and some shoppers acting very badly. Fortune.com is reporting:

And many expect sales this year to be lackluster. A recent survey by Boston Consulting Group predicted that Americans would be “tight and frugal” in coming weeks. “This holiday season, consumers are going to be cautious and frugal. Expect at best a 4.5% increase in spending over last year and a tepid Black Friday,” says BCG Senior Partner Michael J. Silverstein.

Americans have good reason to be “tight and frugal”. Real wages for most Americans have been flat for decades, according to the Economic Policy Institute. EPI has written about wage stagnation.