ORLANDO, Fla. -- Failing stores could wipe out entire shopping centers across Central Florida.

Orlando merchants feed on tourists but international tourism is fading on the rising U.S. dollar and sliding economies overseas. Add a holiday shopping slump and a credit crunch and the combination is toxic to store owners such as Byron Borchardt.

"I made it through the holiday season, but now I have to liquidate my stores," said Borchardt.

Borchardt owns three bargain book stores, one on International Drive, one in Winter Park, and A third near the Florida Mall. All three are going out of business.

"Rent and expenses went up and sales went down dramatically," he said.

Borchardt says he is unable to make his lease payments and will most likely have to break one of his leases.

According to the Co-Star group, eight percent of the stores in Orlando area shopping centers are already vacant.

---

READ: Orlando Area Retail Market Report

---

"There were several other stores in my shopping center that broke lease," noted Borchardt.

As more stores and restaurants fail, analysts say entire retail centers across Central Florida will plunge into foreclosure. NAI RealVest predicts 20-percent of Orlando's independent retailers may go under this year. That could plunge 1 to 200 Orlando area retail centers into foreclosure.

"The developer took out loans during the good times… and they aren't going to be able to make the payments," said University of Central Florida economist Dr. Sean Snaith.

But that doesn't mean those shopping centers will shutter. They'll likely be owned by banks that won't evict store owners who pay rent. That's the good news for Orlando bargain shoppers. They will likely have another year of deals from merchants just trying to stay alive.

Of course the retailers want consumers to start spending more. And economists predict they will. In fact, Dr. Snaith, the Florida Retail Federation and other economists predict a recovery sometime next year.