VANCOUVER -- Vancouver-based Lululemon Athletica is apologizing after an employee promoted what it says was an "inappropriate and inexcusable" T-shirt online.

The employee sparked calls for a boycott of the athleisure retailer after his Instagram post linked to what critics say is a racist T-shirt sold by a California designer.

It depicts bat wings sprouting from a Chinese food take-out container reading, "No thank you."

Lululemon says it takes the incident very seriously and says the person involved is no longer an employee.