*2.7. Social Class*

Social class is used as a basis for market segmentation because members of di fferent classes reflect di fferent consumption patterns [61]. Especially in those countries where class di fferences exist, social class significantly impacts on consumer decisions [62]. When it comes to consumers' response to a new product, research indicates di fferences between the low and high socioeconomic classes. The low socioeconomic class is less likely to purchase a new product or one with new technologies. According to Majabadi et al. [63], there is a class di fference in consumer preferences towards food products, prices, and concepts of value. This social class research has been investigated as an important factor to explore if it influences consumer's purchase behavior. Social class also is shown to connect with patterns of media usage, language patterns, source credibility, and spending behavior [56,62]. Social class is ye<sup>t</sup> another important factor that needs to be studied in the context of food buying behavior. In a country such as Pakistan, with its complex history and deeply rooted perceptions of social class, social class may impact the purchase of western imported food products. Since this study based on the purchase behavior of western imported food in Pakistan, understanding the social classes in this context is a prerequisite. Hence, the above information leads to the development of the following hypothesis:

**Hypothesis 7 (H7):** *Social class is positively associated with consumer's buying intention towards western food products.*
