For the total company, Q2 sales increased 27%, with growth in every reportable segment.
On an organic basis, Q2 sales grew 26%.
In our Health and Wellness segment, Q2 sales were up 42%, reflecting double digits increases in two of three businesses.
Quarterly sales were up 20%, with growth in all three businesses for a third consecutive quarter.
In our Lifestyle segment, Q2 sales were up 9%, with double-digit growth in two of three businesses.
Q2 sales grew 23%, driven by double-digit shipment growth in all major regions.
Organic sales grew 18%.
Second quarter sales were up 27%, driven by 23 points of organic volume growth, three points of favorable price/mix and one point of net benefit from acquiring majority control of our Saudi joint venture, partially offset by FX headwinds.
On an organic basis, sales grew 26%.
Gross margin for the quarter increased 130 basis points to 45.4% compared to 44.1% in the year ago quarter.
Second quarter gross margin included the benefit of strong volume growth as well as 160 basis points of cost savings and 140 basis points of favorable price/mix.
These factors were partially offset by 420 basis points of higher manufacturing and logistics costs, which, similar to last quarter, included temporary COVID-19 spending.
Second quarter gross margin results also reflect about 50 basis points of negative impact from higher commodity costs, primarily from resin.
Selling and administrative expenses as a percentage of sales came in at 14.6% compared to 14.5% in the year ago quarter.
Advertising and sales promotion investment levels as a percentage of sales came in at about 10%, where spending for our U.S. retail business coming in at about 11% of sales.
Our second quarter effective tax rate was 21%, which was equal to the year ago quarter.
Net of these factors, we delivered diluted net earnings per share of $2.03 versus $1.46 in the year ago quarter, an increase of 39%.
We now anticipate fiscal year sales to grow between 10% to 13%, reflecting the strength of our first half results and higher expectations for the back half.
With our overall demand for our products remaining quite strong, we now expect back half sales to be about flat, on top of 19% growth in the year ago period.
On an organic sales basis, our outlook assumes 10% to 13% growth.
As a reminder, our gross margin expanded 250 basis points in the back half of fiscal year '20.
We continue to expect fiscal year selling and administrative expenses to be about 14% of sales, reflecting ongoing aggressive investments and long-term profitable growth initiatives and incentive compensation costs, consistent with our pay-for-performance philosophy.
Additionally, we continue to anticipate fiscal year advertising spending to be about 11% of sales.
We spent about 10% in the front half of the year and continue to anticipate about 12% in the back half in support of our robust innovation program.
We continue to expect our fiscal year tax rate to be between 21% to 22%.
Net of these factors, we now expect fiscal year '21 diluted earnings per share to increase between $8.05 and $8.25 or 9% to 12% growth, reflecting strong top line performance, partially offset by a rising cost environment.
We now anticipate fiscal year diluted earnings per share outlook to include a contribution of $0.45 to $0.50 from our increased stake in our Saudi Arabia joint venture, primarily driven by a onetime noncash gain.
My second message is that Clorox will stay in the driver seat, continuing our posture of 100% offense to make the most of the opportunities in front of us while navigating an ongoing dynamic environment.
In addition, our strategic investments are creating a virtuous cycle around engaging and retaining new and existing users, resulting in a consumer retention rate of nearly 90%.
As I mentioned, 100% offense will help us extend this momentum, which, as a reminder, includes: investing more across our portfolio to retain the millions of people buying our brands; expanding our public health support to more out-of-home spaces; increasing capital spending for immediate and future production capacity, including wipes expansion in international; and partnering with our retailers to grow our categories.
Given the dynamic environment we continue to face, 100% offense also means actively planning for challenges and disruptions in the near and long term, including an inflationary cost environment, elevated competition in light of category tailwinds and accelerating advancements in digital technology that we expect to impact all areas of our business.
Achievements this quarter include: being included in the 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index; achieving 100% renewable electricity in the U.S. and Canada four years early; signing on to the Energy Buyer Federal Clean Energy Policy statement, which calls for a 100% clean energy power sector; and donating $1 million to Cleveland Clinic to establish the Clorox public health research grant in support of science-based public health research.

Summary:
Second quarter gross margin results also reflect about 50 basis points of negative impact from higher commodity costs, primarily from resin.
Net of these factors, we delivered diluted net earnings per share of $2.03 versus $1.46 in the year ago quarter, an increase of 39%.
We now anticipate fiscal year sales to grow between 10% to 13%, reflecting the strength of our first half results and higher expectations for the back half.
On an organic sales basis, our outlook assumes 10% to 13% growth.
Net of these factors, we now expect fiscal year '21 diluted earnings per share to increase between $8.05 and $8.25 or 9% to 12% growth, reflecting strong top line performance, partially offset by a rising cost environment.