Marks estimates stores such as Tiffany's, Gucci, Lacoste, Anne Fontaine and Stuart Weitzman will need to pull in $400 to $500 per sf in sales when they open this fall at the 1.3 million-sf, 405-acre million Mall at Millenia in south Orlando. The industry average for most established full-service department stores is $250 to $300 in sales per sf.

Marks, president of Orlando-based Marketplace Advisors Inc., thinks the retailers will reach their goals and even surpass them.

"Long term, high-end retail in Orlando looks pretty solid," the analyst tells GlobeSt.com. "You've got to remember, the big driver in Orlando is the tourist market. That's the market the high-end retailers are targeting. And even though the tourism numbers are down right now, the mall's unique location will get them through this slow period."