Method and apparatus for storing and retrieving or shifting containers in high-bay warehouses

A method for storing and retrieving or shifting containers (4, 34) in high-bay warehouses (1) of a transfer facility, in particular of a sea port or inland port, wherein the containers (4, 34) are transported, and stored and retrieved or shifted, by storage-and-retrieval units (7) which can be displaced in aisles (6) extending parallel to compartments (3) of the high-bay warehouse (1), said compartments being arranged on a number of levels in storage modules (2). The intention is to create, for such a high-bay warehouse (1), a method and an apparatus which reduce usage of transporting means and, with the high-bay warehouse (1) being of narrow construction, make it possible for any individual container (4, 34) to be accessed even by floor-going stackers (7). For this purpose, raisable and lowerable telescopic holders (35 to 38; 40, 41) of the storage-and-retrieval unit (7) are used to store the containers (4, 34) telescopically, with their longitudinal sides (11) in front, in the compartments (3) from a transporting position, in which said containers preferably do not project beyond the peripheral outer contour of the storage-and-retrieval unit (7), and to remove them therefrom and telescope them back into the transporting position in the storage-and-retrieval unit (7).