A picking system that collects and ships a required article from among a plurality of stored articles, wherein the picking system comprises: a multi-column sorting device that includes a plurality of columns of discharge positions, wherein the discharge positions are provided at different heights of the column in a vertical direction, wherein the multi-column sorting device sorts the articles based on an order, and discharges each of the articles at one of the plurality of columns of discharge positions; a plurality of storage devices that are provided in a plurality of columns respectively corresponding to the plurality of columns of discharge positions, wherein each of the storage devices includes a receiving port for receiving the article, a discharge port for discharging the article, and a transfer portion for sending the article from the receiving port side to the discharge port side, wherein the storage devices receive the articles discharged from the multi-column sorting device at the respective corresponding discharge positions, temporarily store the articles until article groups that are each a set of the articles for each order have been collected, and discharge the article groups at the discharging port; a transport device for receiving and unloading article groups discharged from each of the storage devices, wherein the transport device includes a plurality of conveyors (41, 42, 43) provided in a plurality of columns respectively corresponding to the plurality of storage devices, wherein the plurality of conveyors (41, 42, 43) are configured to transport empty accommodating containers to standby positions, the standby positions being positions located adjacent to the discharge ports of each storage device, to receive in the accommodating containers article groups discharged from the storage device, and a control device that controls operations of the multi-column sorting device, the storage device and the transport device. a multi-column sorting device that includes a plurality of columns of discharge positions, wherein the discharge positions are provided at different heights of the column in a vertical direction, wherein the multi-column sorting device sorts the articles based on an order, and discharges each of the articles at one of the plurality of columns of discharge positions; a plurality of storage devices that are provided in a plurality of columns respectively corresponding to the plurality of columns of discharge positions, wherein each of the storage devices includes a receiving port for receiving the article, a discharge port for discharging the article, and a transfer portion for sending the article from the receiving port side to the discharge port side, wherein the storage devices receive the articles discharged from the multi-column sorting device at the respective corresponding discharge positions, temporarily store the articles until article groups that are each a set of the articles for each order have been collected, and discharge the article groups at the discharging port; a transport device for receiving and unloading article groups discharged from each of the storage devices, wherein the transport device includes a plurality of conveyors (41, 42, 43) provided in a plurality of columns respectively corresponding to the plurality of storage devices, wherein the plurality of conveyors (41, 42, 43) are configured to transport empty accommodating containers to standby positions, the standby positions being positions located adjacent to the discharge ports of each storage device, to receive in the accommodating containers article groups discharged from the storage device, and a control device that controls operations of the multi-column sorting device, the storage device and the transport device.