For 21 years, Mike Russo has made it almost a daily habit to stop by the Safeway store in Oak Harbor.

He picks up groceries and drinks a Starbucks coffee to earn points as part of the store’s gas rewards program.

Next month, his loyalty will be tested when the store he frequents will be taken over by Haggen.

He isn’t fretting over the change, though.

“Change is always good,” Russo said. “I got asked by a cashier who knows me well if I will stay and shop here.

“I think so.”

Oak Harbor’s Safeway is among 146 grocery stores in five states that Haggen is acquiring and converting to its own banner over the next five months.

The acquisitions are part of the divestment process required by the Federal Trade Commission after the mega-merger of Safeway and Albertsons, officially approved last month.

Employees at Oak Harbor’s Safeway will stay on at Haggen, which began converting some Washington stores this week, but isn’t expected to get to Oak Harbor until early to mid March.

“We’ll still have the same level of customer service, the same level of caring, and the staff that made us the best store in town isn’t going anywhere,” said Assistant Manager Brian Knoblauch.

In Oak Harbor for nearly a half century, Safeway isn’t going anywhere either.

At least, not for long.

This summer, Safeway will replace the nearby Albertsons store on Southwest Erie Street, said Safeway spokeswoman Sara Osborne.

That Albertsons store, which wasn’t part of the Haggen acquisition, also will retain its employees under a new Safeway banner, Osborne said.

“We have been in Oak Harbor since 1967 and consider Safeway to be a fixture in the community,” said Osborne, public and government affairs director for Safeway stores in Washington and three other states.

The news of change was a hot topic at Safeway in recent weeks, with most wondering how it will impact the gas rewards program once Haggen takes over.

Though there are plans for pumps to continue to operate at the current State Highway 20 location under a third party, Haggen will not be offering a gas rewards program, company spokeswoman Deborah Pleva said.

There also are no plans in the immediate future to construct a new Safeway fuel station at the Erie Street location where Albertsons currently rests, said Osborne.

The grocery store shuffle in Oak Harbor received mixed reactions from customers, ranging from excitement to confusion to disappointment.

“I like Albertsons,” Oak Harbor resident Rene Callies said. “It’s sad to see that (it’s leaving).”

Jason Wheeler of Oak Harbor said he prefers Safeway.

“We’ve been coming to Safeway for years,” Wheeler said. “I imagine we’ll follow Safeway over a block.”

Russo has shopped at Haggen stores and calls the Bellingham-based grocery outlet “a classy” establishment.

Haggen was founded in 1933.

“It’s a little more expensive,” Russo said. “They carry quality items.”

Starbucks also will continue to operate inside the Oak Harbor Haggen store, with a remodel planned.

With the acquisition, Haggen will expand from 18 stores to 164 outlets and shift from a Pacific Northwest company with locations in Washington state and Oregon to a regional chain with stores also in Arizona, California and Nevada.

In order to get their merger approved by the Federal Trade Commission, Safeway and Albertsons agreed to divest 168 stores in eight states, 111 from Albertsons and 57 from Safeway.

Oak Harbor’s Safeway is one of 26 Albertsons or Safeway stores in Washington being converted to Haggen.

A store makeover typically takes two days.

The first conversion started this week with the Albertsons store in Monroe.

Oak Harbor’s Safeway is No. 9 on the list.