New Milton has a busy town centre with a wide selection of retail outlets catering for the majority of the needs of the local population.  Service industries are also very prominent and there are branches of all the major banks and building societies as well as several financial consultancies, insurance brokers, accountants and solicitors.

There are three Industrial Estates on the western side of town and other small industrial operations elsewhere on the periphery.  The town centre provides a wide range of shopping opportunities, and there is a Tesco supermarket on the outskirts of the town.

The periphery of the Town is mainly given over to agriculture/horticulture and there are several agricultural contractors who provide plant and operators to undertake all manner of tasks relating to agriculture and the building industry.  Bashley has plant and garden centres along the main through-road and is also a very popular area for equestrian activities.

The town has its own local weekly newspaper, the New Milton Advertiser & Times, which was first printed in 1928 and is still going strong today.

The Chewton Glen Hotel, an internationally acclaimed 5 Crown Hotel, lies on the western outskirts of the town and has many prestigious visitors from all over the world.  In addition to various small hotels and guest houses within the area there are three holiday parks, Bashley Park, to the north of the town, Naish Holiday Village on the western boundary and Stanley Holiday Park on the north-eastern boundary.