(Reuters) -Unilever beat first-quarter sales forecasts on Thursday as the maker of Dove soaps and Hellmann's mayonnaise won back shoppers who had traded down to cheaper products during the recent surge in global inflation. Shares in the consumer goods giant rose more than 4% after it reported a 4.4% rise in underlying sales growth, topping analysts' average forecast of 3% in a company poll. Consumer goods companies are fighting to recover volumes lost after months of price increases made to pass higher costs onto customers.