Application service provider (ASP) featuring software for use in providing real-time, integrated business management intelligence by combining information from various databases and presenting it in an easy-to-understand user interface; for providing web-based applications and services through a web operating system or portal interface; for allowing customers to perform electronic business transactions via a global computer network; for inventory management to allow companies to plan the stocking and restocking of their inventory; for uploading, organizing and viewing of digital images and photographs used in the presentation and advertising of merchandise as part of a web-based retail store; and for web site and database management for collecting, editing, organizing, modifying, storing, and presenting merchandising data and information for a web-based retail store and for personalizing the content of e-mail communications