BOSTON -- Eaton Apothecary made headlines this week announcing a plan to sell 12 area stores to Walgreens.

NewsCenter 5's Kelley Tuthill reported that three of the stores are closing, but the others will operate under the Walgreen's name.

It was a difficult decision for the family who's owned it for decades and a shock to customers who appreciate the store's old fashioned way of doing business.

Lucille Curry tried to reassure her customers, but most like the way things are now at Eaton Apothecary.

Scott Birney has been coming to the Wellesley store for more than 30 years.

"Lucille, Joanne, all the rest of them -- they're wonderful," he said. "I hope they're going to keep the same people. They're all so friendly and helpful."

Walgreens said it will offer positions to Eaton's 300 employees. But three locations are set to close, including the Sherborn store where Annemarie Bowen shops for antibiotics for her baby.

"It's too bad. This is a nice small town. It's got that great neighborhood feel to it. So I'm going to miss it. I'm bummed," she said.

In addition to Sherborn, stores in Salem and Gloucester will also be closed.

Curry says Walgreens was the best option for employees and shareholders -- in a time when the little guy always seems to get swallowed by the giant.

"Whether it's hardware stores, whether it's grocery stores, we held on and we held on for a long time," she said. "You just can't do it. You can't compete."

Curry said she plans to stay at the Wellesley store, where she's worked for 30 years.

The deal is expected to go through by end of the year.

Walgreens is also promising to keep Eaton's popular free delivery service.