A system for storing and retrieving containers (108) comprises a first conveying means (1) operable to move stacks of containers between a loading position (2) and a discharge position (4), a container store (5), a container store dispatch conveyor (28) and a container store delivery conveyor (26). A first transfer means transfers containers from the container store dispatch conveyor (28) to the first conveying means (1) and a second transfer means transfers containers from the first conveying means (1) to the container store delivery conveyor (26). A container store storage/retrieval means (9) moves containers from the container store (5) to the container store dispatch conveyor (28) and from the container store delivery conveyor (26) to the container store (5). The system has stack destacking means (30) which are capable of destacking full stacks into at least two partial stacks, the stack destacking means positioned to allow containers which have passed through the destacking means to be delivered to the container store (5) by the container store delivery conveyor (26).