BATAVIA, OH - Walmart's new U.S. president William Simon wasted little time in casting his footprint on the retailer, announcing the return of thousands of items previously cut through Project Impact, as well as reversing its deep "Rollbacks" that it tried in the spring, and all while trimming ad spending to "historical levels," Advertising Age reports.

Simon said many of the "Rollbacks" were funded out of Walmart's margin, not supplier funds, and that merchandise returned to its "Action Alley" aisles have already boosted customer traffic in July, compared to the prior two months.

"We plan to win in every category and let customers decide through their purchase decisions what to include in our assortment," Simon said, a sharp contrast to Project Impact's "Win, Play, Show" strategy, which based its supplier decisions on factors other than just consumer appeal.

As a result, Simon said he's emphasizing strengthening supplier relationships, and that managers are receiving greater authority to merchandise and manage assortment.

Responding to a same-store sales report since he assumed control in July showing a drop of 1.8 percent, Simon noted, "It will take time to see significant changes in our comps."

Walmart CEO Mike Duke has not fully repudiated Project Impact, whose store-remodeling aspect is continuing this quarter.