June 1 Reuters Lululemon Athletica Inc raised its annual sales and profit forecasts on Thursday as wealthy Americans snap up its pricey activewear even though inflation hounds wider retail spending, sending the company39;s shares up 13 after hours.

A strong rebound in China, easing air freight costs and tighter inventory control also helped firstquarter results surpass estimates at the Vancouver, Canadabased company.

The pandemicera appetite for comfortable clothing and activewear has turned into a habit for most Americans. That, along with a higherincome customer base, has been a boon for companies such as Lululemon and Nordstrom Inc JWN.N.

We39;ve seen no change in our customer behavior in terms of frequency of purchase or engagement, Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald said on a postearnings call. Transactions increased from both existing and new customers, while traffic was also robust.

Lululemon39;s crowdfavorite Dance Studio pants and new silhouettes such as flared and wideleg leggings were also in vogue, along with accessories such as backpacks and duffle bags, McDonald added.

I think they surprised everybody … There39;s not many companies in retail that have had this solid track record of very strong growth in comps every quarter, said M Science analyst Matthew Jacob.

Lululemon39;s inventories at quarterend were up 24, a smaller increase than the company had estimated in March. It expects growth of about 20 at the end of the current quarter.

The easing of…