Leslie's closes Connecticut pool store in inflation-driven bankruptcy

Leslie’s Pool Supplies has closed its Derby, Connecticut store as part of a bankruptcy plan aimed at reducing more than $1 billion in debt. The Phoenix-based retailer now lists 13 locations in Connecticut. The Derby store, in Red Raider Plaza, was one of 76 nationally where Leslie’s asked a judge to reject certain leases. The closures come as pool owners typically prepare to wind down for the season. The company, founded in 1963 and now with about 900 locations and roughly 3,500 employees, filed for Chapter 11 restructuring less than two weeks after posting a joking “new end date: TBD” message on Facebook. Leslie’s said inflation, tougher competition, and weather disruptions contributed to the restructuring.