And we delivered strong consolidated non-GAAP operating margin of 9.5%, including another profitable quarter for Joybird.
In addition, our strong cash generation enabled us to return more than $7 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases and we declared an increase in the dividend to 15% -- to $0.15 per share.
Across the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries network written same-store sales increased 6.3% in the quarter of the strongest momentum in January.
This is on top of last year's third quarter written same-store sales increasing 10.5%.
And for some additional context, stripping out the Canadian stores that were closed at various points during the third quarter due to COVID restrictions, written same-store sales would have increased to 8.2% for the network.
Written same-store sales for fiscal '21 year-to-date increased 18%.
And for calendar year 2020 written same-store sales with the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries network increased 6% and the average revenue per store increased to $4.4 million from $4.1 million in calendar '19.
During the quarter, our wholesale backlog grew to over $600 million, 4.5 times what it was at the end of Q3 last year, and up another 25% since the second quarter.
However, delivered sales declined 4% to $351 million, reflecting the COVID-19 production and delivery challenges and a change in mix, as I detailed a moment ago.
Non-GAAP operating margin for the wholesale segment was 10.2%, reflecting the temporary COVID impacts to our supply chain and increased cost to expand manufacturer capacity, as well as for raw materials.
For the quarter delivered sales decreased 1% to $166 million, reflecting the COVID-related product delays.
However, written same-store sales for the company-owned stores increased 9% with the strongest momentum in January, reflecting positive trends across all sales metrics, including traffic, conversion and average ticket by increased in both three units and design sales.
For the period delivered same-store sales decreased 6.3%.
Non-GAAP operating margin for the segment was 8.9% slightly down from 9.8% in last year's comparable quarter, primarily related to lower delivered sales relative to fixed cost and higher selling expenses driven by commissions paid on increased written sales, partially offset by decreased spending for the market -- for marketing given the strong demand environment and some lower travel-related spending due to COVID restrictions.
For fiscal '21 and 2022 each year will include more than 20 projects and they will be completed across the network with more than half of them in our company-owned retail.
Sales for the second quarter, which are reported in corporate and other increased 30% to $29 million.
Written sales increased 79% in the quarter versus the prior year, reflecting ongoing strong demand trends and the strength of the brand in the online marketplace.
And one last note before turning over the call to Melinda, last week we announced the expansion of our Board of Directors to 10 members with the addition of Jim Hackett, he currently serves as a Special Advisor to Ford Motor Company and was President and CEO of Ford from 2017 to 2020.
Last year's third quarter non-GAAP results exclude purchase accounting charges of $1.4 million pre-tax or $0.02 per diluted share.
A charge of $6 million pre-tax or $0.10 per diluted share related to an impairment for one investment and a privately held start-up company and income of $8.7 million pre-tax or $0.14 per diluted share related to the Company's supply chain optimization initiative, which included the closure of our Redlands, California facility and relocation of our Newton, Mississippi leather cut-and-sew operation.
On a consolidated basis fiscal '21 third quarter sales decreased 1.2% to $470 million, primarily due to temporary supply chain impacts from COVID-19.
Consolidated non-GAAP operating income was essentially flat at $45 million versus last year's quarter and consolidated non-GAAP operating margin improved to 9.5% versus 9.4%, mainly driven by strong performance by Joybird.
Non-GAAP earnings per share was $0.74 per diluted share in the current quarter versus $0.72 in last year's third quarter.
Consolidated gross margin for the third quarter increased 60 basis points, changes in our consolidated sales mix, primarily driven by the growth of Joybird, which carries a higher gross margin than our wholesale businesses drove the biggest change in margin.
SG&A as a percent of sales increased 50 basis points, primarily reflecting the changes in our consolidated sales mix, due to growth in Joybird, which carries higher SG&A costs than our wholesale businesses.
And non-operating income in the quarter was primarily due to unrealized gains on investments and contributed $0.02 per diluted share to earnings per share in the third quarter on both a GAAP and a non-GAAP basis.
Our effective tax rate on a GAAP basis for fiscal '21 third quarter was 27.7% versus 26% in last year's third quarter.
Our effective tax rate varies from the 21% federal statutory rate, primarily due to state taxes.
For the full fiscal '21 year, absent discrete items, we estimate our effective tax rate on a GAAP basis to be between 26% and 27%, and on a non-GAAP basis we estimate it will be in the range of 24% to 25% after adjusting out the effects of the non-deductible Joybird contingent consideration.
Turning to cash, year-to-date we generated $250 million in cash from operating activities, reflecting strong operating performance and a $122 million increase in customer deposits and orders for the Company's retail segment and Joybird.
We ended the period with $393 million in cash, more than doubled our $168 million in cash at the end of last year's third quarter.
In addition, we held $31 million in investments to enhance returns on cash, compared with $30 million last year.
Year-to-date, we have invested $27 million in capital, primarily related to investments in our retail stores, new production capacity in Mexico, machinery and equipment and upgrades to our Dayton, Tennessee manufacturing facility, which have now been completed.
As we make investments in the business to strengthen the company for the future, we expect capital expenditures in the range of $35 million to $40 million for the full fiscal year, which will include investments in new manufacturing capacity in Mexico, technology upgrades, improvements to retail store facilities and technology and upgrades to our Neosho, Missouri manufacturing facility.
Regarding cash return to shareholders fiscal year-to-date, we paid $9.7 million in dividends to shareholders and spent approximately $1 million purchasing 22,000 shares of stock in the open market, since reinstating our program in December under our existing authorized share repurchase program, leaving 4.5 million shares of purchase availability in the program.
And yesterday, our Board of Directors increased the quarterly dividend to $0.15 per share, demonstrating its confidence in the strength of our business.
First, I remind you that our effective non-GAAP adjustments for the fourth quarter will include purchase accounting and related tax adjustments for acquisitions to-date, which are expected to be a $0.02 per share benefit in the fourth quarter.
Second, I remind you that last year's fourth quarter included a one-time $16 million benefit in cost of sales for the rebate of previously paid tariffs, which was included in both our GAAP and non-GAAP results and which was mostly offset by a bad debt expense of $13.5 million, due to the Art Van Furniture bankruptcy and a provision for potential credit losses in the COVID-19 environment also included in both our GAAP and non-GAAP results.
Our non-GAAP results for last year's fourth quarter excluded a non-cash, non-tax deductible Joybird goodwill impairment charge of $27 million, mostly related to the future financial projections at the beginning of the pandemic, and a $6 million pre-tax benefit from purchase accounting, primarily related to the reversal of the Joybird contingent consideration liability by its full carrying value also based on financial projections at that time.
Considering all of these factors, we now expect fiscal '21 fourth quarter consolidated sales growth of 34% to 39% versus the prior year fourth quarter, which included the month long pandemic shutdown.
We expect non-GAAP consolidated operating margin at the lower end of the 9% to 11% range.
For some perspective in March of 2009, our market cap was around $30 million and now is approaching $2 billion.

Summary:
Across the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries network written same-store sales increased 6.3% in the quarter of the strongest momentum in January.
For the period delivered same-store sales decreased 6.3%.
Non-GAAP earnings per share was $0.74 per diluted share in the current quarter versus $0.72 in last year's third quarter.
Considering all of these factors, we now expect fiscal '21 fourth quarter consolidated sales growth of 34% to 39% versus the prior year fourth quarter, which included the month long pandemic shutdown.