A method for handling piece goods, articles and/or packs in the case of and/or in relation to their grouping and/or their layer formation, in particular for the purpose of forming palletizable layers, each layer consisting of several piece goods, articles and/or packs, - wherein the method provides for a single-row or multi-row conveying of the piece goods, articles and/or packs in each case in a closed and/or gapless formation or in a formation with gaps existing in each case between the piece goods, articles and/or packs by means of at least one transport device in a transport direction to a grouping module with at least one horizontal conveying device as well as at least one manipulator, - wherein the piece goods, articles and/or packs are seized one after the other either individually or in groups of two or more piece goods, articles and/or packs by the manipulator within the grouping module from the at least one closed formation or from the formation with gaps and are brought into a defined layer arrangement by rotating and/or shifting and/or lifting, - characterized in that after each new seizure of at least one piece good, article and/or pack within a seizing range by means of the manipulator and prior to the shifting, rotating and/or positioning of the at least one piece good, article and/or pack for the production of a respective layer arrangement, the piece goods, articles and/or packs seized by the manipulator are distanced from the subsequently following piece goods, articles and/or packs of the at least one closed formation or formation with gaps, - wherein an at least brief deceleration of the at least one transport device arranged upstream of the grouping module and of the horizontal conveying device located within the grouping module takes place. - wherein the method provides for a single-row or multi-row conveying of the piece goods, articles and/or packs in each case in a closed and/or gapless formation or in a formation with gaps existing in each case between the piece goods, articles and/or packs by means of at least one transport device in a transport direction to a grouping module with at least one horizontal conveying device as well as at least one manipulator, - wherein the piece goods, articles and/or packs are seized one after the other either individually or in groups of two or more piece goods, articles and/or packs by the manipulator within the grouping module from the at least one closed formation or from the formation with gaps and are brought into a defined layer arrangement by rotating and/or shifting and/or lifting, - characterized in that after each new seizure of at least one piece good, article and/or pack within a seizing range by means of the manipulator and prior to the shifting, rotating and/or positioning of the at least one piece good, article and/or pack for the production of a respective layer arrangement, the piece goods, articles and/or packs seized by the manipulator are distanced from the subsequently following piece goods, articles and/or packs of the at least one closed formation or formation with gaps, - wherein an at least brief deceleration of the at least one transport device arranged upstream of the grouping module and of the horizontal conveying device located within the grouping module takes place.