The owner of Longs Drugs Stores said it has completed the purchases of two former Star Markets stores on O'ahu and will convert the stores in Mo'ili'ili and 'Ewa Beach to Longs stores within the next two years.

The two Star stores were closed in recent weeks by Times Supermarkets, which bought Star's seven stores earlier this year with the intent to rebrand five stores with the Times name and sell two to CVS Caremark, which operates Longs.

CVS yesterday confirmed it has purchased the two stores. The company also said the pharmacy business at the Star store in Kíhei, Maui, was transferred to a nearby Longs.

On O'ahu, CVS said it expects to renovate the Mo'ili'ili Star building and reopen as Longs in the next 18 to 24 months. The new store will replace an existing Longs store about two blocks away at 2220 S. King St.

A new Longs store in 'Ewa Beach is expected to open in the second half of next year after a renovation of the former Star store at 91-919 Fort Weaver Road.

After the moves, CVS will operate 46 Longs stores in Hawai'i. The Rhode Island-based company acquired California-based Longs last year, and operates about 7,000 stores under the CVS pharmacy name outside Hawai'i.

In Hawai'i, CVS is facing heightened competition from its biggest rival, Walgreens, which opened its first store in the state two years ago and has a goal of opening 25 to 30 stores over the next several years.

Walgreens opened its fifth full-service store in Hawai'i last month. The company also operates a few smaller pharmacy-only stores, as does Longs.