European Outdoor Group said a survey of its retailing members indicates sales of outdoor products grew between 1 and 3 percent in 2014, although more businesses reported flat or declining sales than in the recent past.

Survey responses also indicate that slowing growth in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is prompting brands to shift their growth strategies toward winning market share rather than opening up new distribution channels or finding other ways to grow sales.

Sales slowed in December due to warm weather but still bested 2013 levels among the surveyed companies.  Growth in apparel sales lagged growth of equipment and footwear due to an unseasonably warm autumn.

The conclusions, which EOG shared last week at the Ispo show in Munich, are based on responses from retailers, buying groups and vendors that sell direct to consumers. Respondents included Bergfreunde, Berghaus, Cotswold, Engelhorn, Internetstore, Mammut, Salewa, The North Face and Transa. STMI Sports Trade Marketing International, which buys for Hervis Sports, Go Sport, SportXX–Migros and Forum Sport, also responded.

Wholesale indicators collected as part of the EOG members’ survey generally jibed with retailers' survey responses. Nearly a third, or 31 percent of responding vendors reported strong growth during the 2014 and 46 percent slight growth. Another 15 percent said sales were flat, while 8 percent reported sales decreased. The outlook for 2015 is generally positive, although the overall rate of growth is expected to be less than in 2014. Nineteen percent of participants expect strong growth, 62 percent expect slight growth, 15 percent expect a flat year and 4 percent expect a decline.

Among the 75 percent of EOG members who completed the survey  there was a strong consensus that channel conflict,  dependence on snow and cold conditions before Christmas and a dearth of market data presented the industry's biggest challenges.

EOG, which began admitting retailers in 2014, plans to begin reporting retail sales by major category, channel, quarter and region in coming years