An automated (2) store for storing and then distributing articles. The store includes a housing (4) for receiving closed shipping containers for storage, and for distributing articles to an output (20) of the housing, which articles were retrieved from inside the shipping containers. The store further includes a sensing means (10) for determining the position of at least a portion of an outside surface of each one of the plurality of closed shipping containers that have entered into the housing, an automated forming means (12) for using the determined position specific to each of the closed shipping containers to form an opening in each of the plurality of the shipping containers, a storing means (14) for storing the plurality of opened shipping containers inside a storage area of the housing, a computer controlled retrieving means (16) for retrieving an article from inside one of the stored opened shipping containers and further including moving means (18) for moving the retrieved articles to an output of the housing.