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Leslies Inc

For the period ended Sep 28, 2024. Filed Nov 27, 2024.

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A company's yearly report to the SEC, with audited financial statements. It is the fullest account a company gives of its business, its finances and the risks it sees.

FY2024 · Filed Nov 27, 2024

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Item 1. Business

In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references to “we,” “our,” “us,” “Leslie’s,” “the Company,” and “our Company” refer to Leslie’s, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

Our Company

We are the largest and most trusted direct-to-consumer brand in the $15 billion United States pool and spa care industry, serving residential and professional consumers. Founded in 1963, we are the only direct-to-consumer pool and spa care brand with national scale, operating an integrated marketing and distribution ecosystem powered by a physical network of over 1,000 branded locations and a robust digital and e-commerce platform. We have a market-leading share of approximately 15% of residential aftermarket product spend as of 2023, our physical network is larger than the sum of our 20 largest competitors and our digital sales are estimated to be greater than five times as large as that of our largest digital competitor. We offer an extensive assortment of professional-grade products, the majority of which are exclusive to Leslie’s, as well as certified installation and repair services, all of which are essential to the ongoing maintenance of pools and spas. Our dedicated team of associates, pool and spa care experts, and experienced service technicians are passionate about empowering our consumers with the knowledge, products, and solutions necessary to confidently maintain and enjoy their pools and spas. The considerable scale of our integrated marketing and distribution ecosystem, which is powered by our direct-to-consumer network, uniquely enables us to efficiently reach and service every pool and spas in the continental United States.

We operate primarily in the pool and spa aftermarket industry, which is one of the most fundamentally attractive consumer categories given its scale, predictability, and growth outlook. More than 80% of our assortment is comprised of non-discretionary products essential to the care of residential and commercial pools and spas. Our assortment includes chemicals, equipment and parts, cleaning and maintenance equipment, and safety, recreational, and fitness-related products. We also offer important essential services, such as equipment installation and repair for residential consumers and professional pool operators. We offer complimentary, commercial-grade in-store water testing and analysis via our proprietary AccuBlue® system, which increases consumer engagement, conversion, basket size, and loyalty, resulting in higher lifetime value. Our water treatment expertise is powered by data and intelligence accumulated from the millions of water tests we have performed over the years, positioning us as the most trusted water treatment service provider in the industry.

We have a legacy of leadership and disruptive innovation. Since our founding in 1963, we have been the leading innovator in our category and have provided our consumers with the most advanced pool and spa care available. As we have scaled, we have leveraged our competitive advantages to strategically reinvest in our business and intellectual property to develop new value-added capabilities. Over the course of our history, we have pioneered complimentary in-store water testing, offered complimentary in-store equipment repair services, introduced the industry’s first loyalty program, and developed an expansive platform of owned and exclusive brands. These differentiated capabilities allow us to meet the needs of any pool and spa owner, whether they care for their pool or spa themselves, or rely on a professional, whenever, wherever, and however they choose to engage with us.

Our Competitive Strengths

We believe that the following competitive strengths have been key drivers of our success to date, and strategically position us for continued success.

Undisputed direct-to-consumer market leader in the aftermarket pool and spa care industry.

For over 60 years, we have been dedicated to addressing our consumers’ pool needs so that they can spend less time maintaining and more time enjoying their pools. We are the only direct-to-consumer pool and spa care brand with a nationwide physical presence and an integrated digital platform, consisting of individually merchandised e-commerce websites, a mobile app with transaction capabilities, and online marketplace operations, designed to address the needs of all pool and spa consumers. The remainder of the industry is highly fragmented across both offline and online providers.

Direct relationships with pool and spa owners and professionals, driving strong Company loyalty programs.

We are the largest national pool and spa care brand with a direct relationship with pool and spa owners and the professionals who serve them. Across our integrated platform, we have more than 12 million consumers who rely on us for their ongoing pool and spa care needs. Through our best-in-class proprietary water testing and backed by our team of highly trained pool and spa experts, we offer sophisticated product recommendations and other expert advice, which cultivates long-standing relationships with our consumers and drives our leading loyalty programs, including Pool Perks®, our retail loyalty program, as well as our PRO Partner loyalty program for service professionals. The comprehensive nature of our product and service offering eliminates the need for consumers to leave the Leslie’s ecosystem. Leslie’s loyalty program drives exceptional retention with a higher per transaction spend versus non-loyalty members. We define “direct relationships” as the number of unique customers for whom we have a mailing address, a phone number, or an email address, and many of which are loyalty members of Leslie’s.

Consumer-centric connected ecosystem for all pool and spa owners and the professionals who serve them using proprietary, leading brands across all channels.

We have built the most extensive and geographically diverse pool and spa care network in the United States. Our locations are strategically located in densely populated areas mainly throughout the Sunbelt, including California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida. Across our physical network, we employ a team of more than 3,000 associates, including pool and spa care experts and service technicians, who act as solution providers to all of our consumers, including both do-it-yourself (“DIY”) and do-it-for-me (“DIFM”) pool owners as well as pool professionals.

As the world has become more digitally focused, we have focused on architecting an industry-leading integrated digital platform of proprietary e-commerce websites designed to serve our residential and professional consumers. Our proprietary e-commerce websites serve digital consumers through curated pricing and targeted merchandising strategies. In addition to our owned e-commerce websites, we also offer our products through online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, and Walmart. As a result of our strategic investments in digital, we are uniquely positioned to serve our consumers with cross-channel capabilities and capture incremental online demand from new consumers while growing the total profitability of the network.

Comprehensive assortment of proprietary brands with recurring, essential, superior product formulations, and trusted, solution-based services for all consumers.

We offer a comprehensive product assortment, consisting of more than 30,000 products across chemicals, equipment and parts, cleaning and maintenance equipment, and safety, recreational, and fitness-related categories. More than 80% of our product sales are non-discretionary and recurring in nature. In addition, more than 55% of our total sales and 80% of our chemical sales are derived from proprietary brands and custom-formulated products, which allows us to create an entrenched consumer relationship, optimize our supply chain, and capture attractive margins. Consumers choose our exclusive, proprietary brands and custom-formulated products for their efficacy and value, a combination that we believe cannot be found elsewhere.

We pair our comprehensive product assortment with differentiated in-store and on-site service offerings. We pioneered the complimentary in-store water test and resulting proprietary pool or spa water prescription, which has driven consumer traffic and loyalty, and has created a “pharmacist-like” relationship with our consumers. We have developed and introduced significant upgrades to our water testing capabilities with the launch of our AccuBlue® platform. The AccuBlue® testing device screens for 10 distinct water quality criteria. Our in-store experts leverage our proprietary AccuBlue® water diagnostics software engine to offer our consumers a customized prescription and treatment plan using our comprehensive range of exclusive products, walking them through product use sequencing step-by-step. These detailed and sophisticated treatment algorithms are supported by our differentiated water treatment expertise built over decades. Historically, we have found that consumers who test their water with us regularly spend more with us per year than those who do not, underscoring the importance of this acquisition and retention vehicle. In 2023, we introduced this same proprietary, commercial grade technology for consumers that can be done in the comfort and convenience of their own home with AccuBlue Home®. We also employ the industry’s largest network of in-field technicians who perform on-site evaluations, installation, and repair services for residential consumers and professional pool operators.

Historically attractive financial profile characterized by consistent, profitable growth, and strong cash flow conversion offering multiple levers to drive shareholder value.

We historically have had strong sales growth, demonstrating our ability to deliver strong financial results through all economic cycles. Our growth has been broad-based across residential pool, residential spa, and professional pool consumers and has been driven by strong retention and profitable acquisition of sticky, long-term consumer relationships. Due to our scale, vertical integration, and operational excellence, we maintain a high ability to generate profitability. Due to our low maintenance capital intensity, we maintain the ability to be flexible with investments and growth through the entire economic cycle.

Highly experienced and visionary leadership team that combines deep industry expertise and advanced direct-to-consumer capabilities.

Our strategic vision and culture are directed by our executive leadership team under the leadership of our Chief Executive Officer, Jason McDonell, and our Chief Financial Officer, Scott Bowman. Our well-balanced executive leadership team is comprised of leaders with experience in the pool and spa care industry as well as recently hired executives who bring new expertise and capabilities to Leslie’s from outside industries. Our leadership team is uniquely capable of executing upon our strategic vision and successfully continuing to create long-term shareholder value.

Our Growth Strategies

We believe we are well positioned to drive sustainable growth and profitability over the long-term by executing on the following strategies:

Grow our consumer file.

We believe we have significant opportunity to acquire new residential consumers and reactivate lapsed residential consumers, which we plan to do by executing on the following strategies:

Acquire or reactivate consumers via optimized marketing strategy. We believe we have a sizeable opportunity to grow by serving the millions of pool and spa owners in our market who do not actively shop with us today. We plan to pursue our acquisition of these potential new or reactivated consumers and, at the same time, manage consumer acquisition cost by shifting our marketing mix toward more efficient digital and social channels with increasing focus on advanced analytics and return-on-investment focused marketing spend.

Capture outsized share of new pool and spa consumers. We intend to bolster consumer file growth by deploying targeted marketing tactics to win an outsized share of new pool and spa owners as the installed base of pools grows.

Increase share of wallet among existing consumers.

We believe we have a significant opportunity to increase spend from existing consumers and drive higher lifetime value. We plan to do this by executing on the following strategies:

Increase loyalty membership penetration and introduce program upgrades. We plan to continue to market our loyalty program in-store and online to convert more of our consumers to loyalty members through our loyalty program, Pool Perks®, in order to offer more value-added features to further drive member enrollment and engagement. We will explore opportunities to drive interest by selectively offering special incentives and rewards as well as introducing new value-added features. We believe these initiatives will drive higher transaction frequency and basket size, which will result in increased category spend and higher lifetime value with existing consumers.

Enhance retention marketing. While we have historically been satisfied with our consumer retention metrics, we believe there is opportunity to drive even greater retention. We plan to do this by more actively leveraging our consumer database to personalize the consumer experience with targeted messaging and product recommendations.

Expand our product and service offering. We plan to expand our offering by introducing new and innovative products and services in our existing categories and by expanding into adjacent categories. Specifically, we believe there is an opportunity with products targeted to spa owners, who have historically been underserved.

Grow additional share in the professional market.

We believe we have a significant opportunity to grow our sales with pool care professionals, who individually can spend significantly more than residential consumers on pool supplies and equipment.

Our research suggests that small and mid-size pool professionals value convenience and referrals, both of which we are uniquely positioned to offer given our over 1,000 locations and the industry’s largest consumer file. We plan to expand our physical network of PRO locations, which specifically cater to pool professionals, by selectively opening new locations and selectively remodeling existing residential locations. We continue to assemble an affiliated network of qualified pool professionals through our PRO Partner program, further expanding the Leslie’s name into the professional channel. To better attract pool care professionals, we also have a dedicated Leslie’s PRO e-commerce website. This website provides all of the online tools needed for professionals to serve their respective communities and grow their pool care businesses. We believe that this initiative represents a natural adjacency and will resonate with existing residential consumers as well as help attract new residential consumers.

Utilize strategic M&A to consolidate share and further enhance capabilities.

The aftermarket pool and spa industry is highly fragmented, which offers attractive opportunities to utilize strategic M&A to drive consolidation. We have historically used, and plan to continue to use, strategic acquisitions to obtain consumers and capabilities in both new and existing markets. We completed five acquisitions during fiscal 2023 and no acquisitions during fiscal 2024, but continued to build our pipeline of future opportunities. We expect to continue to look for opportunities that will strategically benefit our business and contribute to future growth. We believe that we are the consolidator of choice in the industry, and we will continue to focus on acquiring high quality, market-leading businesses with teams, capabilities, and technologies that uniquely position us to create value by applying best practices across our entire physical and digital network to better serve new and existing consumer types.

Addressing underserved residential whitespace.

We have identified more than 800 locations in the continental United States that we can selectively address through our store expansion strategy. With our omni-channel capabilities, successful track record of new location openings, location acquisitions, and targeted digital marketing tactics, we believe we are well positioned to capitalize on this meaningful whitespace opportunity. We plan to assess each market and the potential locations within each market independently and determine the most capital efficient way to serve these trade areas using digital assets and new or acquired locations.

Continue to introduce disruptive innovation.

Leslie’s has a legacy of disruptive innovation in the pool and spa care industry. We plan to continue that legacy by developing and introducing capabilities that create value for our consumers. Present areas of focus include water testing, maintenance prescriptions, new product offerings, and our product distribution ecosystem.

As the Internet of Things wave continues, we believe consumers will seek the convenience of “smart” home functionality in more facets of their daily lives. We believe there is an opportunity to introduce a full service, connected home solution that effectively automates pool maintenance, including actively monitoring our consumers’ water, diagnosing, developing, and prescribing a treatment plan, and delivering to their home the assortment of products needed to maintain a clear, safe, and beautiful pool.

Accordingly, in fiscal 2023 we completed the commercial launch of our AccuBlue Home® program, which we continue to expand in fiscal 2024, a subscription-based offering that enables pool and spa owners to confidently test and treat their pools and spas without ever having to leave their backyard. Using the new, industry-leading AccuBlue Home® connected device combined with the Leslie’s mobile app, program members can utilize commercial grade water testing in the convenience of their home and can test all critical aspects of their water chemistry with ease, generating a custom treatment plan tailored to the specifications of their pool or spa. Seamlessly within the Leslie’s mobile app, consumers can review their prescription, order the products they need, and have them delivered right to their door or arrange for a same-day pick-up at their local Leslie’s location.

Our Industry

We operate in the aftermarket pool and spa care industry, which is broadly comprised of: (i) chemicals; (ii) equipment, parts, and accessories; and (iii) services. The United States market consists of millions of installed pools and spas, which require routine maintenance throughout their lifetime. This drives an annuity-like stream of demand for the chemicals and products necessary to properly maintain a pool or spa.

While we benefit from the growth in the installed base, our business is not dependent on new pool construction activity and can generate strong growth from a fixed installed base through increased pool usage, more frequent sanitization, and recurring maintenance needs. Increasing our customer file and growing our loyalty membership should also have a positive effect on our growth from a fixed installed base which is not dependent on new pool construction.

Seasonality

Our business is highly seasonal. Sales and earnings are highest during our third and fourth fiscal quarters, which include April through September, and represent the peak months of swimming pool use. Sales are substantially lower during our first and second fiscal quarters. We have a long track record of investing in our business throughout the year, including in operating expenses, working capital, and capital expenditures related to new locations and other growth initiatives. While these investments drive performance during the primary selling season in our third and fourth fiscal quarters, they have a negative impact on our earnings and cash flow during our first and second quarters.

We typically experience a build-up of inventory and accounts payable during the first and second fiscal quarters in anticipation of the peak swimming pool supply selling season. We negotiate extended payment terms with certain of our primary suppliers as we receive merchandise in December through March, and we pay for merchandise in April through July.

The principal external factor affecting our business is weather. Hot weather can increase purchases of chemicals and other non-discretionary products as well as purchases of discretionary products and can drive increased purchases of installation and repair services. Unseasonably cool weather or significant amounts of rainfall during the peak pool sales season can reduce chemical consumption in pools and spas and decrease consumer purchases of our products and services. In addition, unseasonably early or late warming trends can increase or decrease the length of the pool season and impact time around pool openings and closings, and therefore, our total sales and timing of our sales.

We generally open new locations before our peak selling season begins and close locations after our peak selling season ends. We expect that our quarterly results of operations will fluctuate depending on the timing and amount of sales contributed by new locations.

Our Consumers

We strategically serve all consumers within the aftermarket pool and spa care industry including Residential Pool, Residential Spa, and Professional Pool consumers.

Residential Pool. The residential pool market consists of approximately 8.8 million pools representing a total aftermarket sales opportunity of approximately $8.4 billion. Within this market, the DIY aftermarket spend represents approximately 70% of total spend while DIFM services represent approximately 30% of total spend. Many of our residential pool consumers visit our locations on a regular basis to conduct water testing, seek expert pool advice, and purchase products as well as utilize our integrated digital platforms.

Residential Spa. The residential spa market consists of approximately 5.5 million spas or hot tubs representing approximately $0.9 billion aftermarket sales opportunity for chemicals and equipment. Including the approximately $1.7 billion market for new spas, residential spa represents a total addressable market of approximately $2.6 billion.

Professional Pool. The professional pool market consists of pool service professionals and professional pool operators. Pool service professionals specialize in maintenance and equipment repair for DIFM homeowners, businesses, and government entities. Professional pool operators manage approximately 300,000 pools across hotels, motels, apartment complexes, and water parks. This market represents a total aftermarket sales opportunity of approximately $4.4 billion.

Our Product and Service Offering

We offer a comprehensive assortment of more than 30,000 products across chemicals, equipment and parts, cleaning and maintenance equipment, and safety, recreational, and fitness related products. Historically, approximately 80% of our assortment has been comprised of essential and non-discretionary products that are needed by residential and professional consumers to care for pools and spas. The vast majority of our assortment features non-discretionary products that are shelf-stable and generally not prone to either obsolescence or shrinkage, which could occur from changing technology or consumer buying habits. As the trusted one-stop destination for all aftermarket pool and spa needs, we provide an extensive and highly differentiated product offering. We aim to fulfill the needs of our residential and professional consumers with our comprehensive assortment, in-stock inventory, and product selection across a broad range of premium proprietary and third-party brands.

Since our inception in 1963, we have offered a portfolio of owned and exclusive brands. We continue to expand our selection of exclusive offerings through innovation and product development. Our exclusive brands and products account for more than 55% of total sales and 80% of chemical sales. These proprietary brands and custom-formulated products are only available through our integrated platform and offer professional-grade quality to our consumers, while allowing us to achieve higher gross margins relative to sales of third-party products.

In addition to our comprehensive product assortment, we offer critical services, such as complimentary, commercial grade water testing and in-store equipment repair. We also employ a large in-field service network of pool and spa care service professionals who have the expertise to provide essential on-site equipment installation and repair services for residential consumers and professional pool operators throughout the continental United States.

Our Integrated Platform

We operate an integrated platform consisting of physical locations, distribution centers, and proprietary e-commerce websites.

Residential Locations. We serve our residential consumers through physical locations that are strategically spread across 39 states. We offer a range of differentiated and innovative in-store and on-site service offerings including our in-store water test. Our residential locations are supported by a team of associates, including pool and spa care experts and experienced service technicians, who are committed to educating and providing best-in-class pool care advice for consumers and performing on-site installation and repair services.

Digital Network. Our complementary platform of branded proprietary e-commerce websites and marketplace storefronts allows us to seamlessly serve the needs of all digital consumers through curated pricing and targeted merchandising strategies. Our portfolio of proprietary e-commerce websites includes Leslie’s (lesliespool.com) and In the Swim (intheswim.com). In addition to our owned e-commerce websites, we sell through online marketplaces such as Amazon, Walmart, and eBay.

PRO Locations. Our PRO locations are conveniently situated along popular service routes and carry a product assortment that targets the professional consumer. We have identified significant opportunities to expand and develop our PRO network to address the growing and underserved professional consumer base. Our PRO locations also serve residential consumers.

Residential Hot Tub Locations. In select markets, we also operate full service hot tub and spa locations under various banners. At these locations, we offer an expanded assortment of merchandise and services specifically catering to current and prospective spa owners.

Our Vertically Integrated Model

We operate a vertically integrated supply chain, packaging, and distribution model, which represents a significant competitive advantage.

Our vertically integrated supply chain enables us to produce and package products at our company-operated packaging facilities and third-party contract packaging facilities. Our strategy is to identify, produce, and package high volume items that do not require sophisticated or capital-intensive production or packaging equipment, but allow us to offer our consumers a premium product while offering us a significant cost advantage. We source a variety of raw materials and chemicals directly from a diversified supplier base; and maintain strong relationships with these suppliers. As of September 28, 2024, we had one supplier that represented more than 10% of our annual purchases. Using these raw materials, we manufacture and package a wide selection of final products, including, but not limited to, chlorine products, pH adjusters, and filter cleaners. A significant portion of our total mix is comprised of products that we manufacture or package through vertical integration, which offers economies of scale that has resulted in higher quality products and a structurally advantaged margin profile.

We also operate a vertically integrated distribution and delivery model. In addition to operating two manufacturing facilities, we operate a national network of company-operated distribution centers in addition to utilizing third-party distribution centers. Our company-operated distribution centers and our third-party logistics partners have the capacity to carry a broad breadth of our products in significant quantities and are capable of replenishing inventory throughout our physical network. From these facilities, we distribute to our physical network through a contracted fleet of tractors and trailers, which helps ensure optimal in-stock levels throughout the year. Our third-party distribution centers are strategically located to complement our company-operated distribution centers and primarily fulfill online orders.

Our Marketing Strategy

We believe there is significant potential to drive increased share of wallet among our existing consumers through strategic initiatives, such as our loyalty membership program and dynamic promotions.

Due to the highly recurring, replenishment driven nature of our product mix and long-term consumer relationships, we believe that our investments in consumer acquisition marketing generate highly attractive returns. We know the location of pools and spas throughout the United States, and by leveraging this information, we have the ability to allocate our advertising dollars in a highly targeted manner. Additionally, we have added experienced marketing talent with significant expertise in analytics and performance marketing to grow our consumer file. Through these strategies, we plan to increase brand awareness and continue profitably acquiring new consumers.

Our Competition

The United States aftermarket pool and spa care industry is fragmented and competitive. We compete against a wide range of manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and service providers in the residential and professional pool and spa care market. This includes original equipment manufacturers, regional and local retailers, home improvement retailers, mass-market and club retailers, and specialty e-commerce operators. Key competitive groups include:

Regional and Local Independent Retailers. Estimated to include more than 8,000 smaller, local independent competitors, which offer the convenience of proximity. The vast majority of these competitors operate single stores and, due to relative economies of scale, this group generally offers limited product assortment, charges higher prices and invests less resources in marketing;

Home Improvement Retailers. Includes national home improvement retailers, such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, and local and regional hardware stores. This group generally employs a seasonal strategy, offering limited product assortment during select spring and summer months, does not offer services, and typically does not employ associates with the pool and spa care expertise;

Mass-Market, Club and Marketplace Retailers. Includes larger, scaled players, such as Walmart, and Costco, as well as smaller online retailers that market their products to consumers through scaled marketplace platforms such as Amazon, eBay, and Walmart. The mass-market group generally offers limited product assortment, often on a seasonal basis, and does not offer services or pool and spa care expertise. The marketplace retailers sell a wide range of pool supplies under a number of brands that are available for sale year-round, however they do not offer services or pool and spa care expertise; and

Wholesale Distributors. Includes large wholesalers, such as Heritage Pool Supply Group, owned by Home Depot, and Pool Corporation This group generally does not directly serve the end-consumer, but rather serves as an intermediary that supplies product to retailers as well as the professional channel.

Our competitors offer pool care products and services of varied quality and across a wide range of retail price points. We experience greater brick-and-mortar competition in the states with the largest installed pool bases, including California, Texas, Florida, and Arizona. While some of our competitors also market and sell online, there are various challenges to serving consumers in the aftermarket pool and spa care industry via e-commerce. These challenges include regulatory restrictions on shipping hazardous materials, the need for professional installation of equipment at point of delivery, and the need for regular water testing, expert advice, and customized prescriptions and solutions related to the sale of chemicals. In addition, due to the seasonality of the aftermarket pool and spa care industry, several competitors only stock related products during the summer months, and their product assortment tends to be limited to basic offerings.

Human Capital Resources

As of September 28, 2024, we employed approximately 3,850 employees. Of these, approximately 3,010 work within our physical network, 250 work as in-field service technicians, 340 work in our corporate office, and 250 work in our distribution centers.

Our voluntary turnover rate over the past twelve months was 32%, with retail turnover at 36% and distribution center turnover at 16%. We continue to maintain strong employee relations and are committed to leadership excellence. In our most recent employee engagement survey, 89% of employees indicated that their manager was a good leader, with overall leadership effectiveness—measured across six key metrics—achieving an 88% favorable rating.

We view our employees as the foundation of our growth and success. Attracting, developing, retaining, and motivating top talent are critical to our continued achievements. Workforce development remains a key focus, and approximately 80% of our retail and corporate management positions were filled by internal promotions in the past three years. To further enhance leadership capabilities, we are investing in new leader development programs and preparing to launch a high-potential program for succession planning in key roles.

We are also deeply committed to promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion, understanding that our success is intrinsically linked to our ability to recruit, develop, and support talented individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

Note: None of our employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Trademarks and Other Intellectual Property

We employ various trademarks, trade names and service marks, including Leslie’s®, AccuBlue®, AccuBlue Home®, Pool Perks®, and our logo, in our product packaging and advertising our products. We have registered trademarks and trade names for several of our major products on the Principal Register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. We distinguish the products produced in our chemical repackaging operation or by our third-party repacking partners through the use of the Leslie’s brand name and logo and the trademarks and trade names of the individual items, none of which is patented, licensed, or otherwise restricted to or by us. We believe the strength of our trademarks and trade names has been beneficial to our business and we intend to continue to protect and promote our trademarks in appropriate circumstances.

Leslie’s®, AccuBlue®, AccuBlue Home®, Pool Perks®, and other trademarks, trade names or service marks of Leslie’s, Inc. appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are the property of Leslie’s, Inc. All other trademarks, trade names, and service marks appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are the property of their respective owners.

Available Information

Our website address is www.lesliespool.com. Information contained on our website or connected thereto does not constitute a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or any other filing we make with the SEC. We make available on this website under the “Investor Relations” section, free of charge, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file those materials with, or furnish them to, the SEC. The SEC also maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC atwww.sec.gov.

Note Regarding Third-Party Information

This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes market data and certain other statistical information and estimates that are based on reports and other publications from industry analysts, market research firms, and other independent sources, as well as management’s own good faith estimates and analyses. We believe these third-party reports to be reputable, but have not independently verified the underlying data sources, methodologies, or assumptions. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research, or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties, and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances reflected in this information.

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