BENTONVILLE, Ark. - In an about-face, Walmart announced this week it will be re-shelving the 8,500 products it had gotten rid of two years ago in an effort to streamline its stores, the Washington Post reports.

In 2009, Walmart de-cluttered its locations by eliminating 9 percent of its items. However, established stores saw sales declined nearly every quarter for the past two years and the company decided to reinstate the dropped products.

Starting in May, Walmart will advertise the return of the merchandise with an "It??s Back" campaign. Stores will have higher shelves, narrower aisles and colossal pallets of products.

"It??s really about our core commitment to the customer," said Duncan Mac Naughton, Wal-Mart U.S chief merchandising officer. "You have to have what I want when I come, and it has to be a great value."

Last summer, the retailer started enlarging its product line beginning with beverages, groceries and snacks, receiving a boost in sales as a result. Previously nixed cleaning and pet supplies will begin to reappear this summer with other products making their way back by year??s end.

Walmart had slashed inventory in categories like hardware and apparel. For example, when the company started returning fishing rods and reels to stores, sales soared 40 percent. "If we can make money on it and the customer wants it, we are going to carry it," said Bill Simon, who heads Walmart??s U.S. locations.

While Walmart refocuses on adding back products, the retailer faces new competition from Target, which has started to challenge Walmart on price. To counter that, Walmart has a new motto: "Low prices. Every day. On Everything."