Fashion Retailer Shein Pulls Swastika Necklace, Apologizes for Confusion

The online fashion retail site Shein is apologizing for creating confusion over its attempt to sell a Buddhist swastika necklace, which triggered outrage and led to the retailer removing the item from the site.

A rep for Shein tells TMZ ... the online retailer was NOT selling a Nazi swastika pendant, but rather a Buddhist swastika necklace, "which has symbolized spirituality and good fortune for more than a thousand years." The rep goes on to explain, "The Nazi swastika has a different design; it is pointed clockwise and tilted at an angle. However, because we understand the two symbols can be confused, and one is highly offensive, we have removed the product from our site."

Shein took TONS of backlash on social media after hordes of people pointed out the swastika-like necklace ... selling for a whopping $2.50.

Someone else tweeted, "I probably am (was) the most loyal @shein_official customer around, but now I"ll be taking my business to @zaful_official or really any other company that doesn't have such repulsive disregard for what that swastika represents to the millions of people killed by those who wore it."

A rep for Shein also tells TMZ, "As a multicultural and global brand, we want to apologize profusely to those who are offended, we are sensitive to those issues and want to be very clear that we in no way support or condone racial, cultural and religious prejudice or hostility.