A method for handling piece goods in the context of grouping the piece goods and/or forming layers thereof, in particular for the purpose of forming palletisable layers that each consist of a plurality of piece goods, - wherein the method provides a single- or multiple-row conveyance of the piece goods in a transport direction, in each case in closed, unspaced formation, to a grouping module with at least one horizontal conveyor as well as at least one manipulator, characterised in that - the piece goods are successively seized, individually or in groups of two or more piece goods, from the at least one closed formation by the manipulator and are brought into a defined layer arrangement by being rotated and/or shifted and/or lifted, in which layer arrangement there are still spaces present between individual piece goods, which spaces still have to be removed prior to the actual palletising step, - wherein at least one transported piece good is seized in a clamping manner by the manipulator, is spatially separated from the closed formation, and is brought into a defined relative target position and/or target alignment in relation to subsequent piece goods of the formation, - whereafter the piece goods, having been brought into the layer arrangement with spaces present, are transferred onto a conveying means arranged downstream from the grouping module, - and wherein, after each passing over of a defined number of piece goods corresponding to a palletisable layer and/or being in an intended layer arrangement, an at least brief speed difference between the conveying speed of the horizontal conveyor of the grouping module and the conveying speed of the conveying means arranged downstream from the grouping module is provided and/or produced in transport direction. - wherein the method provides a single- or multiple-row conveyance of the piece goods in a transport direction, in each case in closed, unspaced formation, to a grouping module with at least one horizontal conveyor as well as at least one manipulator, - the piece goods are successively seized, individually or in groups of two or more piece goods, from the at least one closed formation by the manipulator and are brought into a defined layer arrangement by being rotated and/or shifted and/or lifted, in which layer arrangement there are still spaces present between individual piece goods, which spaces still have to be removed prior to the actual palletising step, - wherein at least one transported piece good is seized in a clamping manner by the manipulator, is spatially separated from the closed formation, and is brought into a defined relative target position and/or target alignment in relation to subsequent piece goods of the formation, - whereafter the piece goods, having been brought into the layer arrangement with spaces present, are transferred onto a conveying means arranged downstream from the grouping module, - and wherein, after each passing over of a defined number of piece goods corresponding to a palletisable layer and/or being in an intended layer arrangement, an at least brief speed difference between the conveying speed of the horizontal conveyor of the grouping module and the conveying speed of the conveying means arranged downstream from the grouping module is provided and/or produced in transport direction.