Energy storage is emerging as an alternative for battery makers as electric-vehicle demand slows.

The WSJ’s Christopher Otts writes that selling large, stationary batteries for “energy storage systems,” or ESS, used to be a niche market as automakers and battery companies raced to build multibillion-dollar plants to meet forecasts for brisk EV demand. Those proved too optimistic and many factories are underused, delayed or stuck in limbo. Now companies are betting on growth from a new set of customers. Installations of energy-storage batteries more than tripled in the U.S. from 2021 to 2024 and are projected to grow 34% in 2025.

Tesla’s revenue from energy-storage batteries grew 67% to $4 billion last year, while EV revenue dropped by $6 billion. Last week, General Motors said it was exploring a deal to supply a mix of new and used batteries to startup recycler Redwood Materials for energy storage. And a Chinese-owned battery maker is now looking at energy storage to help get a stalled EV-battery factory in Kentucky back on track.

Since President Trump first announced sweeping tariffs, Amazon has quietly raised prices on low-cost products such as deodorant, protein shakes and pet-care items.

A Wall Street Journal analysis of prices of nearly 2,500 items from e-commerce data firm Traject Data found that while Amazon’s price rose on 1,200 of its cheapest household goods, Walmart cut prices on the same products by nearly 2%. Amazon said the items tracked by WSJ weren’t representative of the company’s prices overall. Makers of several of the products that became more expensive on Amazon say they haven’t raised the prices they charge retailers.

The broader retail response to tariffs has been relatively muted. Prices for imported goods are up about 2% since March, according to research from the Harvard Business School’s Pricing Lab.

The outlook this year isn’t much fun for toymakers, which face accelerating layoffs, steep tariffs and cautious retailers. All of these are threatening profitability and increasing risk, the Journal’s Connor Hart writes. About 60% of toymakers have laid off staff in the past two months, a trade group says. Steep tariffs on goods from China—as well as from Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam—have eaten into margins and led some companies to cancel holiday-season orders.

The dual squeeze of rising costs and cautious demand is dividing the toy sector. Big companies such as Hasbro and Mattel benefit from diversified supply chains, greater pricing power and stronger balance sheets, which might allow them to weather the turbulence better than smaller firms.

The U.S. economy is set to slow, with the impact of tariffs becoming more pronounced in the second half of the year. (WSJ)

Canadian companies face higher costs but are limited in raising consumer prices due to competitive pressures and weaker demand. (WSJ)

Ryanair could delay taking delivery of some Boeing 737 MAX aircraft as it holds out for a trade deal between the U.S. and the EU. (WSJ)

Cleveland-Cliffs hired JPMorgan to explore the sale of plants including three that the steel maker recently idled. (WSJ)

Stellantis’s earnings took a hit of around $350 million from U.S. tariffs, while restructuring efforts and higher costs also dragged on the Jeep maker’s results. (WSJ)

Softbank and OpenAI’s $500 billion project to build U.S. AI infrastructure has struggled to get started and has sharply scaled back its near-term plans. (WSJ)

The Transportation Department said in a news release that it awarded $8.75 million in grants to 17 small shipyards for training, workforce development and new technology.

FedEx Freight is delaying until Dec. 1 changes to the shipment-classification system used to set less-than-truckload pricing. (Journal of Commerce)

U.S. orange-juice distributor Johanna Foods sued over Trump’s threat to impose a 50% tariff on Brazil. (Bloomberg)

The Trump administration said it would take action against Mexico after its government cut flight slots and forced cargo carriers to relocate operations to Mexico City. (Reuters)

Cathay Cargo carried over 130,000 metric tons of cargo in June, 6.3% more than a year earlier. (Air Cargo News)

Schoeller Textil has sold its Schoeller Technologies unit to Swiss textile chemical company Textilcolor. (Sourcing Journal)

Matson suspended the transport on its vessels of battery-powered electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles over fire-safety concerns. (The Maritime Executive)

South Africa’s Sibanye-Stillwater Group agreed to acquire New Jersey-based precious-metals recycler Metallix Refining for $82 million. (Recycling Today)

Mark R. Long is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at mark.long@wsj.com. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team on LinkedIn: Mark R. Long, Liz Young and Paul Berger.