Disclosed herein is an apparatus for supplying cigarette containers to the loading mechanisms for hoppers of cigarette packaging-conditioning machines. The apparatus supplies containers filled with cigarettes through a storage device so that the operating continuity of the cigarette packagingconditioning machine is assured independently of the operating continuity for the cigarette manufacturing machine associated therewith. The storage device intervenes to ensure maximum operating efficiency for both the cigarette manufacturing machines and for the packaging-conditioning machine by storing the containers of cigarettes produced by the manufacturing machine when a failure occurs in the packaging machine; and, by supplying the stored containers to the packaging machine during proper operation of all of the apparatus and upon failure of the manufacturing machine.