A buffer storage apparatus includes a mechanism for removing a product travelling from one location to another, and an elongate reservoir belt movable in thedirection of its elongation from a stowed position wound on a spool, past the removing mechanism to receive the product and thereafter to a product storage position where the charged reservoir belt is wound on a furtherspool. When the reservoir belt is being wound round one spool the reservoir is being unwound from the other. The reservoir belt itself is preferably provided with pockets or dividers which, apart from separating the articles, serve as spacers between layers of wound belt and thus eliminate the possibility of articles being compressed between layers of conveyor belt wound round the loaded conveyor spool/drum. The system is designed to handle a variety of sizes and shapes of articles such as rectangular products like chocolate bars or cigarette packages, bottles, cylindrical or rod-shaped articles such as cigarettes, tin cans, etc.