NEW YORK — Walmart ratcheted up sales and profits again in the third quarter with its comparatively low prices proving a powerful draw for shoppers seeking to cut spending where they could.

Two of the largest for-hire carriers are making operational and financial preparations for an anticipated upturn in the freight market after months of weak demand, executives said.

JBS, the biggest global meat producer, is reaping the benefits of a world that’s eating more chicken, sending demand surging and helping the company post its best quarterly profit in two years.

Amazon launched an online storefront designed to compete with Temu, the low-cost shopping app that gained traction with shoppers who trade longer shipping times for rock-bottom prices.

Home Depot continued to deal with a pullback in spending from customers in fiscal Q3, but it was less severe than in the past, and its performance beat Wall Street’s expectations.

Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles may be envisioned as the future workhorse of a decarbonized longhaul freight sector, but their development has proceeded at a measured pace.

Returnless refunds are a tool that more retailers are using to keep online shoppers happy and to reduce shipping fees, processing time and other ballooning costs from returned products.

The news follows PepsiCo's confirmation of the Chicago plant's full closure earlier in the week. Sales, delivery and warehouse functions will continue at the other three locations.

PepsiCo said the decision was difficult, but it described the 60-year-old building as a facility with “physical limitations.” The company said it would pay workers for the next 60 days

American Tire Distributors, which sought bankruptcy protection in 2018 after the defection of two major manufacturers, has filed for Chapter 11 again as it considers a sale process to cut debt.