A system and method are disclosed for creating, controlling and enhancing a life-cycle of at least one stage for a rich-content repository, such as a catalog of products and services. The item data is received from a source and is processed in accordance with a User-defined life-cycle, finally being published/syndicated as rich-content. At User direction, the rich-content life-cycle can include one or more stages such as item data receipt from a supplier, transformation under control of User-defined functions, and publication/syndication of the transformed, i.e., rich-content data. Maintenance of rich-content repositories is likewise provided using a User-defined life-cycle having User-defined functions.