Giresun's digital trade potential
Giresun is the quality capital of the hazelnut: the Giresun Tombul Hazelnut, protected by a geographical indication, is regarded as the finest hazelnut in the world and is priced on international markets as a quality benchmark. The city's economy rests largely on processing and exporting hazelnuts and hazelnut products.
What separates Giresun from neighbouring Ordu is not scale but quality: Ordu leads on volume while Giresun represents the premium standard. The 'Giresun Kalite' registration system protects that quality through QR-coded holograms and traceability — a strong and genuinely distinctive brand story to tell online.
The sector is processed in the organised industrial zone (OSB): the province is dense with hazelnut cracking, roasting and processing plants, while the port plays a key role in exports. A significant share of Türkiye's largest hazelnut exporters are Giresun companies; the city has a deep-rooted export culture in this field.
Beyond hazelnuts, fishing and seafood are part of both local gastronomy and local livelihoods; the food industry and regional products complete that production culture. Black Sea cuisine and regional specialities are a strong base for branding and e-commerce.
Tourism holds a rare asset: Giresun Island, the only island in the Black Sea, is a distinctive draw with its landscape and its mythological story. The highland pastures and green countryside also carry potential for nature tourism.
Giresun's opportunity is to turn its world-known reputation for quality into value online: the Tombul hazelnut's premium position is often lost in bulk exports and the quality difference is not fully reflected in the price. The right premium brand, a traceability narrative and multilingual e-commerce can sell that quality directly to boutique buyers and consumers, at the value it deserves.