Consolidated net sales for the quarter of $621.5 million were up by 30.6% compared to last year and up 27.9% organically, which excludes the impact of foreign currency translation.
Orders in the quarter of $689.4 million were up 28.8% compared to the prior year on a reported basis and up 26.0% organically.
Operating margin for the quarter was 1.5% compared to (44.4)% last year. On an adjusted basis, which excludes special charges totaling $22.1 million primarily associated with the retroactive payment of employee benefits that were reinstated related to the first three quarters of the fiscal year, $11.0 million of acquisition-related expenses, and $1.2 million of restructuring charges, consolidated operating margin of 7.0% was 370 basis points higher than last year.
These results were driven by a combination of gross margin expansion and our continued focus on managing operating expenses. The Retail segment delivered another quarter of strong profitability with a segment operating margin of 19.2%.
Gross margin of 36.0% was 110 basis points higher than last year, reflecting strong channel and product mix. Reported consolidated operating expenses for the quarter were $214.8 million, compared to $377.2 million in the prior year. Consolidated operating expenses of $190.9 million, excluding special charges, acquisition-related costs, impairment, and restructuring expenses, were up $41.5 million from last year primarily due to temporary cost reductions we put in place to weather demand pressures from the onset of COVID-19 and higher variable selling expenses.
Diluted earnings per share in the fourth quarter totaled $0.12 on a reported basis, compared to a loss of $2.95 last year. On an adjusted basis, diluted earnings per share totaled $0.56 for the quarter, compared to $0.11 in the prior year.
For the full fiscal year, net sales were $2.47 billion, reflecting a year-over-year decrease of 0.9%. On an organic basis, net sales decreased by 5.7% compared to last fiscal year. Diluted earnings per share for the full year totaled $2.92 compared to a loss per share of $0.15 last year. On an adjusted basis, diluted earnings per share totaled $3.33 in fiscal 2021 compared to $2.61 in fiscal 2020, behind the strength of improved gross margins and well-managed operating expenses. ■