 Real estate was a major drag, with property investment and home prices continuing a long slide. That hurt consumption. Retail sales grew just 2% during the quarter. That's almost half of the rate of growth in the first quarter. The data comes at a crucial time. Members of the ruling Communist Party's Policymaking Central Committee kicked off a meeting today that's expected to focus to a large extent on the economy. Many analysts do not expect the meeting to produce major stimulus measures. John Rewich, NPR News, Beijing.