A goods handling method includes the steps of sequentially taking out a desired number of goods from a group of accumulation of goods formed of a plurality of goods accumulated in a height direction, a plurality of goods accumulated in a depth direction, and one or more goods accumulated in the width direction and discharging such removed goods into a container, the goods handling method further including the steps of arranging the height of a bottom surface of goods to be removed among the group of accumulation of goods generally equal to the height of a goods receiving table and thereafter, removing the goods onto the receiving table, discharging such removed goods into the container, moving goods on the second row to the front row after all goods on the front row have been removed, and then removing the goods, and a goods handling apparatus for carrying out the method.