Abstract: A remote storage system for items includes contact areas at different locations for the collection of the items individually, a storage area for secure storage of the items received from the contact areas, and transportation vehicles for receiving and offloading the items at the contact areas and one or more conveying vehicles for transporting the items to and from the storage area, wherein the transportation vehicles circulate between the contact areas so that each of the contact areas exists for a discrete time period dependent on the arrival of a transportation vehicle.