Leslie’s appoints Amy College as new chief merchandising officer

PHOENIX - Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL), a pool and spa care retailer, announced Tuesday the appointment of Amy College as Chief Merchandising and Supply Chain Officer, effective July 20, 2025. The appointment comes at a critical time for Leslie’s, which according to InvestingPro data, has seen its stock decline over 88% in the past year, with shares currently trading at $0.40.

College will oversee merchandising, inventory, supply chain, logistics, manufacturing, and the company’s digital marketplace business. She replaces Moyo LaBode, who left the company effective July 15, 2025. The leadership change comes as Leslie’s faces significant challenges, with revenue declining 6.12% over the last twelve months to $1.32 billion.

College brings more than 25 years of retail operations leadership experience to the role. She most recently served as Chief Merchandising and Supply Chain Officer at Petco (NASDAQ:WOOF), where she managed category merchandising, enterprise demand planning, visual merchandising, owned brand product development, sourcing, and distribution operations.

Prior to her nearly five-year tenure at Petco, College spent over 20 years at Best Buy in various merchandising and category management leadership positions, including Chief Category Officer for home theater, smart home, digital imaging, and appliances.

"With significant retail, merchandising and general management experience, she brings a unique blend of strategic vision and operational expertise," said Jason McDonell, Leslie’s chief executive officer, in a press release statement.

College holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.

Leslie’s operates over 1,000 physical locations and an e-commerce platform selling pool and spa care products to residential customers and pool professionals across the United States. With the company’s next earnings report due on July 30, 2025, investors can access comprehensive analysis and additional insights through InvestingPro, which offers exclusive financial metrics and 12 more ProTips about Leslie’s current market position and future outlook.

In other recent news, Leslie’s Inc. reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2025, revealing a revenue decline to $177.1 million, falling short of the anticipated $184.88 million. This represents a 6% year-over-year drop, attributed to adverse weather conditions affecting store traffic. Despite these challenges, Leslie’s reaffirmed its full-year guidance, aiming to stabilize its performance. Analysts have responded to the company’s current situation, with Mizuho cutting Leslie’s price target to $1.00 due to margin pressures, while Stifel raised the target to $0.57, maintaining a Hold rating. Meanwhile, Telsey Advisory Group reduced its price target to $1.25, citing macroeconomic challenges and uncertainty in consumer trends.

Additionally, Leslie’s credit rating was downgraded by S&P Global Ratings from ’B’ to ’B-’, reflecting weaker business prospects and ongoing operating challenges. The company is expected to generate $40 million to $50 million in free operating cash flow for fiscal 2025, with plans to focus on debt reduction. Leslie’s is also enhancing its strategic initiatives, such as optimizing inventory and launching same-day delivery services in partnership with Uber, to improve customer service and operational efficiency. These developments highlight the company’s efforts to navigate a competitive and challenging market environment.

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